Woman clerk refuses to sing duet with railway officer, gets a harsh note

Anjali Tiwari was told it’s her duty to sing because she had been appointed under the cultural quota.

Updated on: Jan 23, 2017, 19:27:52 IST

Hindustan Times, Raipur | By Ritesh Mishra

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A woman railway clerk in Raipur was issued a notice for refusing to sing a duet with the general manager (GM) of the zone at his farewell “get-together”.

Indian Railways employee gets a notice after she refused to sing at an officer’s farewell party. (AFP file photo)

Anjali Tiwari was asked to sing a vintage Hindi movie song at the Railway Officers’ Colony on January 16 because she was “appointed under cultural quota”. Tiwari refused to sing along with Bilaspur zone GM Satyendra Kumar despite “clear instructions”, said a show-cause notice served to her by the divisional railway manager (DRM). The notice has now been taken back.

The notice said Tiwari “failed to obey the instructions of DRM, Raipur, in connection with preparation of a few duet songs to be sung with general manager during a get-together function” the next day. “… During the said program on 16.01.17, when General Manager/South East Central Railway (SECR) expressed his desire to sing one particular song, you flatly refused to sing the duet song saying (that you have) not come with preparation to sing the song.”

It said Tiwari, “being an employee appointed under cultural quota cannot… refuse to perform when clear instructions in advance were given” by DRM, Raipur.

“This shows yours irresponsible attitude towards work” and DRM/R (Raipur) took a serious view of the above incident. “You thus committed gross misconduct and failed to maintain absolute devotion towards your duty. Why disciplinary action should not be taken against you, please explain.”

Tiwari could not be reached for comment.

The notice which accused Anjali Tiwari of misbehaviour has been withdrawn.

Asked about the notice, Rahul Gautam, DRM of Raipur division of Bilaspur zone, told HT, “Are you aware that the woman is an appointee under the cultural quota? Are you appreciating this? We have many quotas… there are people we recruit in sports quota; they are supposed to play for Railways. Hence, she is supposed to perform whenever there is a cultural programme. This was kind of an official thing (function)… officers and their families of Bilaspur zone were giving farewell to GM. We asked her to prepare three duet songs, and she assured us she would do it, but on stage she refused, which was embarrassing for us.”

Gautam added, “She had been behaving in an arrogant manner earlier with lot of ‘attitude’ but we ignored it. But, this was a special occasion.”

When asked if Tiwari had the right to refuse to sing a song on any stage, he said, “If she was not interested to sing she should have told me in advance, why did she have to create an abnormal situation.”

In an official statement, the Railways said: “The GM took the cognizance over the issue and ordered an inquiry. The GM has not instructed DRM for any show-cause notice to Anjali Tiwari.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ritesh Mishra
Ritesh Mishra is the State Correspondent for Chhattisgarh with Hindustan Times. He reports on Maoism, internal security, politics, mining, governance, and major developments shaping the state. Based in Raipur, he has covered Chhattisgarh since 2016, reporting extensively from the Bastar region and other conflict-affected areas. With nearly two decades of experience in journalism, Ritesh has built a reputation for ground reporting from some of India's most challenging terrains. His coverage spans Left-Wing Extremism, counter-insurgency operations, elections, tribal affairs, environmental issues, infrastructure, mining, and socio-economic developments. He has reported on major security operations, policy initiatives, wildlife crime, and the changing dynamics of conflict and development in Central India. Before moving to Chhattisgarh, Ritesh spent eight years reporting from Madhya Pradesh, covering politics, administration, crime, development, and social issues. Throughout his career, he has reported on various forms of extremism in Central India, combining field reporting with in-depth analysis to produce accurate, balanced, and impactful journalism. Prior to joining Hindustan Times, Ritesh worked with The Pioneer and The Free Press Journal, where he covered a wide range of beats and honed his skills in political, investigative, and field reporting. His reporting is marked by exclusive stories, extensive fieldwork, and a commitment to factual, on-the-ground journalism that brings complex issues to a wider audience.Read More

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