'Pressures can be tackled only by relying on God'; Nirmala Sitharaman with bizarre comment regarding death of EY employee Anna Sebastian

CHENNAI: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has made a bizarre comment regarding Ernst & Young employee Anna Sebastian's death due to work pressure. Reacting to Anna's death, the Union minister said children should be taught how to deal with stress from home and that stress can be tackled only by relying on God. Nirmala Sitharaman was attending an event at a private college in Chennai.

"I saw the news two days ago that a girl had died due to work pressure. The colleges teach the students well and get them jobs through campus recruitment. No matter how big a job you get, you have to be taught from home how to deal with pressures. There has to be an inner force to deal with the pressures. Pressures can be tackled only by relying on God," the Union Finance Minister said.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognizance of the death of Anna Sebastian, a young chartered accountant, reportedly due to excessive workload. The Commission, which expressed extreme concern that Anna's death was due to workload, has initiated suo motu proceedings in the matter. The Commission also directed the Union Ministry of Labour to furnish a comprehensive investigation report within a period of four weeks.

Anna Sebastian, a chartered accountant from Ernakulam's Kunnappilly, passed away two months ago due to cardiac arrest. Born to C.B. Joseph and Anitha Augustine, Anna had excelled academically. After clearing the chartered accountancy exams, she joined EY's Pune office in March, full of enthusiasm for her first job. However, her life was cut short when she died at a hostel in Pune on July 20.

The mother of the young professional had written a letter to the employer claiming that long hours of work had taken a heavy toll on her daughter's physical, emotional and mental health, a charge denied by the company. The Union Ministry of Labour and Employment is investigating the matter.