Sisterhood: Court bails out teacher

The Jharkhand High Court today directed St Joseph Balika Middle School, Ranchi, to provide relief to an employee whose services were terminated following her decision to give up sisterhood.

Ajita Kumari Tirkey, 35, an assistant teacher at the JBM School, approached the court when her services were terminated a year ago after she refused to remain a nun. Justice M.Y. Eqbal, after hearing Tirkey’s petition today, ordered the school to allow her to continue her services and provide relief to her.

Tirkey says she was pressured by the school’s superior general to embrace ‘‘Anna Dharma’’ (sisterhood). She became a nun but later wrote to the superior general, Anupa Kujjur, on May 18, 2002, expressing her desire to give up sisterhood. The latter then terminated her services on June 1, 2002, alleges Tirkey.