Sitharaman clarifies remark on EY employee death: No victim shaming

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has clarified her response to the death of Anna Sebastian Perayil by saying “In no way victim shaming was done nor intended, even remotely.”

While addressing a recent event at a deemed University on the outskirts of Chennai, Sitharaman referred to the incident of the 26-year-old EY employee and urged youngsters to “Seek God, learn good discipline” to manage work stress. 

The Union Minister’s initial remark

On the Saturday event, the Union Minister remarked that the strength to handle pressure can be achieved through divinity. She said educational institutions should bring “divinity and spirituality” to their curriculum.

She further said colleges and universities should impart stress management lessons to help increase the students' inner strength.

The criticism she faced

People immediately started criticizing her. Netizens even accused Sitharaman of being insensitive and not addressing the real issue that corporates are putting extreme workloads on employees affecting their health.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi accused Sitharaman of "victim shaming" on X (formerly Twitter) saying, "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 at least try to be a little sensitive, am sure god will be the guide if you seek," Chaturvedi said on X.

The Minister’s clarification

Sitharaman responded to Chaturvedi, clarifying that her remarks on inner strength and spirituality were not intended for the victim but her speech in Tamil was made in the context of the university’s newly established meditation hall and place of worship.

"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," she said.

The minister added she had specifically mentioned the work stress on the victim was unbearable after clearing a demanding and rigorous examination such as CA.

"No names were taken, neither of the lady nor of the firm," she said.

Sitharaman said that she had not done ‘victim shaming’ in any way and had only shared the importance of providing support to children.

"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," she remarked.

The Minister further said that the Union labor ministry has assured a thorough investigation into the allegations of an exploitative work environment related to the victim’s death. 

The case of Anna Sebastian Perayil

Anna Sebastian Perayil was a 26-year-old chartered accountant from Kerala who worked at  Ernst & Young Pune and died of cardiac arrest on June 20 following excessive workload and poor work culture at the company - as alleged by her mother.

In an open letter to EY India’s Chairman, Rajiv Memani, Anna’s mother detailed her daughter's ongoing issues with anxiety, sleeplessness, and stress due to overworking as her manager prioritized work over employee well-being. She alleged her daughter died as she was overworked by her company.