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EY employee death: Rahul Gandhi speaks with Anna's parents, says ‘I promised…’
Rahul Gandhi spoke with Anna Sebastian's parents via a video call arranged by the AIPC chairman Praveen Chakravarty who visited their home in Kochi.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has assured the grieving parents of Anna Sebastian Perayil, a 26-year-old chartered accountant who died under alleged extreme work pressure at Ernst & Young, that he will fight for the improvement of working conditions for millions of professionals in India.
In a video call arranged by Praveen Chakravarty, Chairman of the All India Professionals’ Congress (AIPC), Gandhi spoke with Anna's parents and offered his sympathies, praising the family’s courage in speaking out during such a difficult time. He also pledged to raise the issue in Parliament.
"I spoke with the heartbroken parents of Anna Sebastian, a bright and ambitious young professional whose life was tragically cut short by toxic and unforgiving work conditions," Gandhi wrote on X as he shared a video of the conversation.
“In the face of unimaginable grief, Anna's mother has shown remarkable courage and selflessness, turning her personal loss into a powerful plea for safer and fairer workplaces for all,” he added.
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Anna's mother describes working condition
During the call, Anna’s mother described her daughter’s gruelling work schedule, detailing the long hours and weekend work that had left her exhausted and with little personal time. "She would call me every night, too tired to speak," she said, adding, "Children in India are still working like slaves... Why is this happening in our country? Whyare children made to suffer like this?"
Gandhi affirmed his commitment to ensuring Anna’s death would serve as a catalyst for change. "I promised Anna’s family my personal commitment, along with the full support of the Congress party, to ensure this tragedy sparks a movement for safer, fairer workplaces," he said.
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Anna’s death, reportedly from cardiac arrest in July 2024, followed months of relentless workdays at S R Batliboi, a member firm of EY Global. The incident has sparked a national outcry, prompting an ongoing investigation by the Ministry of Labour & Employment into alleged unsafe and exploitative work conditions at the firm.
