‘Inclusivity’ Executive Fired For Not Being Inclusive
Information technology major Tech Mahindra Ltd. has sacked its chief diversity and inclusivity officer who made homophobic and racial slurs against a former employee, a week after it said it would conduct an internal investigation on the matter.
The incident was brought to light by a former company employee, Gaurav Pramanik, who on Sept. 9 tweeted that his former head of the department, Richa Gautam, had mocked him, calling him effeminate leading to bullying by other co-workers and affecting his work.
In another incident in 2015, Gautam taunted a former manager of ‘crying like a gay man’ in a staff meeting, according to an email sent to Gautam by Pramanik which he tweeted out, after section 377 criminalising consensual sex between homosexual adults was struck down by the Supreme Court earlier this month. He also highlighted Gautam’s hatred towards Muslims, calling her behaviour “bigoted and homophobic”.
In his mail, Pramanik said that he had “promised” to write to the manager “the day IPC Section 377 was scrapped and being a homosexual in a country as great as India was legal”.
Tech Mahindra faced online fire after the former employee went public with the charges against his former team leader.
At the time, Mahindra Group Chairman and much vaunted captain of industry Anand Mahindra had said the company was investigating the matter and “will ascertain the facts and see that the outcome is fair and just”. He had also assured that the group celebrates diversity at workplace and “fairness and dignity” of an individual are enshrined in core value of the company.
Most corporate companies in India are quick to adopt various policies at the workplace, such as those pertaining to whistleblowers, maternity benefits or gender parity. However, Pramanik said that not many employees are aware of what these policies entail.
“These policies run into several pages and are full of legalese, which employees are often loath to read through. I think organisations should explain these things in a manner that employees are empowered,” said Pramanik in an interview with Network 18.
He hopes that his old boss “reform” herself.
“I hope she ponders over her actions and understands the gravity of what she has done.”
Us too, bro.
Ketto & the LGBTQ community
Since its inception, Ketto has been a champion of the ‘Equality For All’ vision for India and has consequently been a strong proponent of LGBTQ rights in the country. Click on the links below to view crowdfunding projects Ketto has been involved with for the community. If you feel inspired, you can perhaps start your own project with Ketto as well.
