NEW DELHI – Air India hostess has accused a senior executive of sexualharassment and discrimination over the last few years, claiming that theairline authorities have refused to deal with the matter seriously.
In a letter to Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu, which sheposted on Twitter, the lady has claimed that a senior executive hasrepeatedly sexually harassed and tortured her for the last six years, andthe management is considering rewarding him instead of taking any punitiveaction.
However, the woman has refused to reveal the name of the accused. She alsosaid that the Air India’s women’s cell did nothing to act on the issue andeven tried to hush up the matter.
The Air India employee also claimed that other women have gone through asimilar ordeal with the same senior executive, but they are too afraid tocome forward owing to his ‘connections’.
“He is equal to if not worse than Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby puttogether,” she said.
Meanwhile, Suresh Prabhu has asked Air India CMD to immediately address theissue. “If necessary, will appoint another committee,” he said in a tweet.
“I am an Air Hostess and a proud single mother working for Air India.Without mincing any words, this senior Executive (whose name will berevealed when I meet you) is a predator and has sexually propositioned me ,abused me, used abusive language on other women in my presence, spoken ofSexual acts with me and other women in my presence in the office premisesand he has tried to compel women in his office (including me) to come anddrink with him at various bars, and many of us have been forced to do so.There are many people who can bear witness to these things. He has insultedme and denied me positions and privileges after I rejected his advances andhe has made my life a misery at work and continues to do so,” she said in aletter.
Stating that last September she mustered up courage and complained to thecompany, the victim said, “I also wrote to the then CMD for action-butnone was forthcoming. I was a diligent executive and followed all companyprocesses. In fact the whispers going around was that ‘I was Prompted’ or’I was used’ to file this complaint, which were falsely spread by thesupporters of this senior executive.
“I used the internal processes because I did not want to attract publicityor attention, in the media or the Airline, but 6 years of torture and 9months of torturous delay and coverups have left me frustrated,” she said.
The air hostess, who is also a single mother claimed that when she narratedher tale, the lady chairperson of the committee responded saying”Oh youknow how HE TALKS. HE HAS EVEN FLIRTED WITH ME LIKE THIS SO MANY TIMES ”
She further stated that her faith in the system has been brutally shaken.”As a loyal employee for 33+ years, I have tried to follow the processesInternally, but I have lost all hope that the Al bosses club will dispenseany woman Justice. My hope now lies with your office (Suresh Prabhu-CivilAviation Ministry)”.
“I believe in our beloved Prime Minister’s Call of “Beti Bachao, Betipadhao” – and I am sure that “after educating beti, you won’t let such agrave injustice happen to her at the workplace” and I would kindly requestyou to please urgently look into the matter and appoint a neutralinvestigation committee to look into the matter and until the impartialenquiry is complete, to ensure that this Senior officer does not assume anycharge where he is in contact with and in control of more than 2000 womenincluding me,” she said in a letter.
Meanwhile, Chetan Sanghi, Joint Secretary in Ministry of Women and Childhas asked the women to email the particulars at min-wcd@nic.in. “We willget it surely looked into,” he said in a tweet.