Daijiworld Media Network
New Delhi, Apr 11: In a world where hate is plenty and putting up a brave front in the face of obstacles is not easy, this is a story that proves love indeed conquers all.
IAS couples tying the knot is not uncommon. But what makes Tina Dabi and Athar Aamir Khan's story different, and heart-touching, is the way they fought against all odds and came out triumphant.
IAS toppers Tina Dabi, a Dalit and Athar Aamir Khan, a Muslim tied the knot in south Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 7 despite threats especially from right wing groups.
Dabi on Saturday tweeted that they got married in Jaipur last month. Dabi too shared it on Twitter. "The groom's family hosted a reception in his hometown in Anantnag's Mattan on Sunday. Another round of celebrations will be held in Delhi on April 14." The wedding celebrations were held in Kashmir in the presence of families and friends of the young couple.
Tina Dabi, the 24-year-old IAS officer topped the civil services exam three years ago, and Aamir from Kashmir came second in the same exams. Dabi, a graduate of Delhi's Lady Shri Ram College, shot to limelight after she became the first Dalit to top the prestigious civil services exam in 2015. As of now, they both have got the Rajasthan cadre of the IAS.
Tina Dabi and Athar Aamir-ul-Shafi were attacked over their relationship in the past with right-wing groups even terming their engagement as 'love jihad'. The Akhil Bhartiya Hindu Mahasabha had reportedly written a letter to Tina's parents saying that while they were proud of the UPSC topper's achievements, it was ‘painful’ that she chose to marry a Muslim. Responding to the attacks, Tina had shared a message on her Facebook page with hash tag 'Free Love'.
Their story began in the year 2015 when they met at the department of personnel and training office in Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy for Administration in Mussoorie during a felicitation function in the national capital during the 2016 felicitation ceremony. It was love at sight for the two IAS toppers.
"We met in the morning and by evening Aamir was at my door. Uske liye pehli nazar mein pyaar ho gaya (For him, it was love at first sight)," she said. Though Athar took some time, he won her heart. Since then their social media pages have been filled with their romantic snapshots.
But it was not easy facing criticism. In a media interaction in 2016, Tina had said, "I must admit that I get very disturbed when I read stuff about us. We have stopped googling our names and reading news about ourselves. I think it is a small price to pay for being in the public eye.
"As any freethinking independent woman I am entitled to certain choices. I am very happy with my choice and so is Aamir. Our parents are happy too. But there will always be those elements, that small minority who will always pass negative comments about dating someone from another religion. It is just that 5%. The majority are very happy. You would have seen in my Facebook timeline that most of the comments are encouraging. In fact, I am overwhelmed by the support and congratulatory messages. I thought ‘yeh to achcha hai” (this is good.)," she said.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi was all praise for the newlywed IAS lovebirds Tina Dabi and Athar Aamir-ul-Shafi by calling their relationship “an inspiration to all Indians” amid the “growing intolerance and communal hatred”.
The Congress president tweeted his wishes for the IAS toppers, "Congratulations Tina Dabi & Athar Amir-ul-Shafi, IAS toppers, batch of 2015, on your wedding! May your love grow from strength to strength and may you be an inspiration to all Indians in this age of growing intolerance and communal hatred. God bless you."