Rahul Gandhi speaks to Anna's family, promises to raise work pressure issue in Parliament

Kochi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday offered full support to the family of Anna Sebastian Perayil, the 26-year-old chartered accountant whose death due to alleged extreme work pressure at Ernst & Young has triggered a discussion on toxic work culture.

The Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha spoke with Anna's parents via video call and promised to fight for the cause of improving working conditions for millions of professionals in India. The call was arranged by Praveen Chakravarty, the chairman of All India Professionals' Congress (AIPC), who visited their home in Kochi.

Rahul offered his sympathies at Anna's sudden and tragic demise and lauded the family's courage and selflessness to speak up at such an extremely difficult moment about the issue in the larger interest of improving working conditions for the millions of professionals in India, a statement issued by the AIPC said.

The Congress leader assured them that he would fight for the cause in his capacity as the leader of the opposition, according to the statement. Anna's father, Siby Joseph, told Onmanorama that the interaction with Rahul lasted 10 minutes. He said Rahul told them he would raise the issue in Parliament.

Rahul also spoke to Anna's mother, Anita Sebastian, whose emotionally charged letter to the EY management brought the issue to public attention. The AIPC statement said Rahul instructed the AIPC chairman to create an awareness movement in Anna's memory for all working professionals in India.

"Following Gandhi's instructions, AIPC will announce a helpline soon to collect information from corporate professionals about issues related to work stress and toxic work culture. Post which, AIPC will seek to come up with draft guidelines for better working conditions for professionals in the corporate sector," the statement said.

Earlier in the day, Union Minister of State for Tourism Suresh Gopi, State Minister for Industries P Rajeeve, Leader of the Opposition in Kerala Assembly V D Satheesan and Hibi Eden MP also visited Anna's parents and consoled them.

In a post on X last night, senior Congress leader and former AIPC Chairman Shashi Tharoor said he had a deeply emotional and heartrending conversation with Sibi Joseph. "He suggested, and I agreed, that I raise the issue of legislating, through Parliament, a fixed calendar for all workplaces, whether in the private sector or the public, that would not exceed eight hours a day, five days a week.

''Inhumanity at the workplace must be legislated out of existence with stringent punishment and fines for offenders. Human rights do not stop at the workplace!" Tharoor said.

"Will raise this matter at the first opportunity during the next session of Parliament," Tharoor said. EY on Wednesday had issued a statement stating, "We are deeply saddened by Anna Sebastian's tragic and untimely passing in July 2024."