Nirmala Sitharaman’s ‘insensitive’ remark on EY staff’s death sparks huge uproar; this is what she said

New Delhi: The sudden, untimely death of 26-year-old Ernst & Young (EY) India employee Anna Sebastian Perayil who allegedly died of overwork, has sparked nationwide outrage and questions over the demanding work culture.

Amidst this, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s remarks on Anna’s death have created an uproar as she has said that other folks need “inner strength to handle pressure and this is able to well simplest be achieved by divinity”.

This has now now not gone down well with the people, social media users, and opposition leaders alike who've termed the remarks insensitive.

Nirmala Sitharaman, while addressing an event at a Chennai medical college, said, “Our children go to schools and universities for education and come out with flying colours. A company, without bringing up its name, it’s a partnership. There, a lady who had studied CA well (became) unable to handle the work pressure. Two-three days ago, we received news she died unable to handle the pressure,” said the minister referring to Anna’s death. She also did now now not mention Ernst & Young, the corporate where she became working.

“What should families teach — whatever you study and the job you do, you could like to have the inner strength to handle that pressure and this is likely to be achieved through divinity simplest. Believe in God, we should have God’s grace. Trying to find for God, and learn good discipline. Your Atmashakti (spiritual strength) will grow simplest from this. The inner strength will come simplest with growing Atmashakti,” said Sitharaman.

“Educational institutions should usher in divinity and spirituality. Then simplest will our children get the inner strength, it'll assist in their progress and that of the u . s .. It be my strong belief,” said the minister, as reported by the news agency PTI.

Reacting to Nirmala Sitharaman’s comments, Priyanka Chaturvedi, the Rajya Sabha MP from Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), hit out on the Finance Minister’s remarks.

“Dear Nirmala Sitaraman ji, Anna had (the) inner strength to handle the stress that came with pursuing a gruelling Chartered Accountancy degree. It became the toxic work culture, long work hours that took away her life which needs to be addressed. Stop victim shaming and no lower than are trying to be a little bit sensitive, am sure god is likely to be the guide should you're in search of for,” said Chaturvedi.

CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar said the Finance Minister is “belittling and demeaning everyday struggles of working people across the u . s .”.

“Over-work, inhuman working conditions, pervasive unemployment and absence of social security are creating stress and insecurity among workers, in particular the younger sections of our personnel across occupations. In place of addressing these structural concerns, the finance minister’s advice to ‘rely on God’ is weird and wonderful and insensitive,” he said in an announcement.

Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi also highlighted the difficulty, saying that a bright and impressive young professional’s life became “tragically cut short by toxic and unforgiving work conditions”.

“I in truth have promised Anna’s family my personal commitment, together with the total make stronger of the Congress celebration, to substantiate that this tragedy becomes a catalyst for change,” said Gandhi.

The matter came to light after Anna’s mother Anita Augustine wrote to Ernst & Young India Chairman Rajiv Memani where she mentioned that her daughter had died just four months after she joined the corporate and flagged a chunk culture that “seems to glorify overwork while neglecting the very human being behind the role”.

“Anna would return to her room utterly exhausted, every every now and then collapsing on the bed without even changing her clothes, simplest to be bombarded with messages soliciting for more reports. She became putting in her best efforts, working very not easy to meet the closing dates. She became a fighter to the core, now now not a person to supply up without problems. We told her to quit, but she wanted to learn and gain new exposure. Alternatively, the overwhelming pressure proved an excessive amount of even for her,” she wrote.