FM Nirmala Sitharaman, speaking at an event at a private medical college, highlighted that the colleges and universities need to provide guidance to prepare youngsters to navigate their ways in a stressful work environment
Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday recommended colleges and universities to teach stress management to students apart from imparting good education and ensuring jobs. Sitharaman was addressing an event at a college in Chennai where she highlighted the need to focus on well-being and mental health. However, the finance minister’s statement has drawn sharp criticism from opposition party Congress and general public with some calling her comment “outright cruel.”
She made the statement in the backdrop of the unfortunate death of a 26-year-old employee of audit firm Ernst & Young, who succumbed to death because of workload and long working hours.
“Believe in God; we need to have God’s grace. Seek God and learn good discipline. Your Atma shakti will grow only from this. The inner strength will come only with growing Atma shakti… Educational institutions should bring in divinity and spirituality. Then only will our children get the inner strength. It will help in their progress and the country. That is my strong belief,” said Sitharaman.
Why is Sitharaman facing backlash from the opposition?
After the death of Anna Sebastian Perayil, 26-year-old EY employee, in July this year, the letter written by her mother to E&Y India Chairman Rajiv Memani has sparked a outrage on social media platforms about toxic corporate work culture. Netizens took to their social media accounts to speak about their personal experiences working in a stressful corporate environment.
Sitharaman, addressing the same issue at the event, said, “…A woman who had studied CA well, unable to cope with the work pressure...” She tried to provide guidance to youngsters to navigate their ways in a stressful work environment.
However, her mantra to teach students how to deal with stress met with criticism from various opposition leaders. Senior Congress leader KC Venugopal called her “outright cruel”.
While Kerala’s tourism minister, PA Mohammed Riyas, lashed out at her and said Sitharaman has become the protector of the “corporate draculas” who exploit the IT workers.
“Instead of criticizing the work atmosphere where Anna worked or the management, the finance minister chose to insult her parents. She advised them to learn how to overcome stress from the family itself and to pray to God,” said Riyas in a post on X.
Similarly, Rajya Sabha MP, AA Rahim, said corporate must be held accountable for ensuring a healthy balance between work and personal life. He added that the EY employee story should be the last of its kind, and it’s time for corporate leaders to listen, reflect and act.