Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman came under fire for her remarks around the recent incident of the death of an EY employee that was not taken very well by the public.
The death of 26-year-old Anna Sebastian Perayil, just four months into her job at Ernst & Young (EY), has sparked a lot of debate and discussions around the country. It’s gotten to the point where even government officials are commenting on this.
The Union Labour Ministry is also investigating the work environment at EY in light of this incident.
What Did Nirmala Sitharaman Say?
On 21 September 2024, Saturday, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman attended an event at a private medical college in Chennai. It was here that she addressed the recent tragic incident of 26-year-old Anna Sebastian Perayil, a CA from Kerala, who died just four months into her job at Ernst & Young (EY) in Pune.
She spoke about how “Our children go to colleges and universities for education and come out in flying colours. A company, without mentioning its name, its a partnership. There, a woman who had studied CA well, unable to cope with the work pressure, two-three days ago we received a news–she died unable to cope up with the pressure.”
She further stated “What should families teach? Whatever you study and the job you do, you should have the inner strength to handle that pressure and this can be achieved through divinity only,” and how one should
“Believe in God, we need to have God’s grace. Seek God, learn good discipline. Your Atma shakti (self-strength) will grow only from this. The inner strength will come only with growing Atma shakti.”
According to reports, she also talked about how educational institutes should teach subjects like divinity and spirituality.
The minister said “Educational institutions should bring in divinity and spirituality. Only then will our children get the inner strength, it will help in their progress and that of the country. That is my strong belief.”
Read More: Don’t Care About Sh*t: Shocking Allegations By Colleague Of 26 Y/O EY (Ernst & Young) Employee Anna Who Died After Work Stress
The Backlash To The Comments
Several netizens claimed that these comments were insensitive and inappropriate.
Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal in an X/Twitter post condemned her remarks claiming that the Centre is not focusing on the young generation’s pain but instead looking at corporate giants.
He wrote “The ruling regime and the Finance Minister can only see the pain of corporate giants like Adani and Ambani, not the pain of the hardworking and toiling young generation where freshers like Anna are exploited by the greedy corporate system…
It is downright cruel on the part of the FM to blame Anna and her family for suggesting that she should have learnt stress management at home. This kind of victim-blaming is despicable and no words can convey the anger and disgust one feels because of such statements.”
Priyanka Chaturvedi, Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP, also posted on her X/Twitter page writing “Dear Nirmala Sitaraman ji, Anna had inner strength to handle the stress that came with pursuing a gruelling Chartered Accountancy degree. It was the toxic work culture, long work hours that took away her life which needs to be addressed. Stop victim shaming and atleast try to be a little sensitive, am sure god will be the guide if you seek.”
On Monday, FM Sitharaman replying to Chaturvedi clarified that her words didn’t mean to victim shame.
She wrote, “Had referred to this matter in a talk delivered in Tamil at a deemed University on the outskirts of Chennai. Had specifically mentioned that after clearing a demanding and rigorous examination such as CA, the stress on her was unbearable. No names were taken, neither of the lady nor of the firm.
The University has set up a Meditation Hall and a place of worship for all its students and faculty. It is in this context that I spoke on how it is necessary to build inner strength for students.
With a sense of grief over the tragic loss, I highlighted the importance of institutions and families to support the children, and in no way victim shaming was done nor intended, even remotely. The Union Labour Ministry has already assured a thorough investigation into the allegations of an exploitative work environment related to the tragic demise.”
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: Hindustan Times, The Indian Express, Business Standard
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