By TCN News,
Mumbai: Gajanfar Chamanshaikh, a medical firm employee in Mumbai, is facing religious discrimination at the firm. His immediate boss uses for him a filthy Marathi word that is a derogatory term used to refer to Muslims. He was not allowed to celebrate Eid this year and now is being prevented from Eid-ul Azha. Shaikh has approached National Human Rights Commission for protection of his rights.
Chamanshaikh, who is employed with Abbott Healthcare Pvt Ltd in Mumbai, has approached the NHRC seeking its help to protect his rights that are constantly being violated by Jaydeep Patil, Area Business Manager and his immediate boss at the firm.
[Photo by attorneysdiscrimination.com]
In his complaint to NHRC on 13th November 2010, Shaikh, who holds the post of Technical Representative, gave details of the discrimination he has faced at the firm in the last one and half years.
In the complaint, Shaikh alleges that Patil uses “foul language and abusive language by Mr. Jaydeep Patil (ABM) by using the words “LANDYA” (Marathi Word) which is derogatory term for referring to Muslim persons.”
Besides, Patil engages him in “unnecessary conversation totally unconnected with my job duties as field Medical Representative or his job duties as ABM whereby he constantly and pointedly starts telling me that Muslims engage in each and every type of Crime under the Indian Penal Code (IPC),” says Shaikh.
He also alleges that he was deliberately not given “casual leave on the occasion of Id-Ul-Fitr (Ramzan) on 9th September and 10th September 2010. Which was applied well in advance. Though I had ample casual leave and Privilege leave and other leave to my Credit. The Motive behind seems sheer communal targeting of myself perhaps to pressurize me to resign from services.”
He complains that he is being sent on assignment in a way that he could celebrate Id-ul Azha either.
“My ABM Mr. Jaydeep Patil deliberately ordered me to work out-station in Maharashtra in such a manner that I remained away from family and could not celebrate my festival on 17th Nov so that I should be away from my family and do not enjoy my Bakrid (Id-Ul-Zuha) festival, which is important festival of Islam, and which is mandatory. Secondly my another superior Mr. K.S.Dave calling me to Mumbai to Medical Checkup deliberately on 16th November-2010, so that I, will be in Mumbai. Further which I cannot perform the mandatory rituals of Islam to celebrate the important festival since even I start towards Goa on 16th evening I will be in train till 11.30 am, which I will be unable to perform the mandatory Namaz in the morning at 08.30am,” the letter to NHRC says.
Shaikh, who is also President, Goa Medical Representatives Association (GMRA), a registered Trade Union Affiliated to Federation of Medical Representatives Association (FMRAI), affiliated to CITU, has urged the national rights watchdog that his firm be directed to ensure communal harmony in organization and in particular as to what corrective action has been taken against Mr. Jaydeep Patil (ABM) by them. He also appealed to the NHRC to directly reprimand/admonish Mr. Patil.