Technology giants Accenture and Zoho are facing severe online backlash, after reports of the companies’ top executives participating at an upcoming Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (RSS) event in Chennai, surfaced on Twitter.
A flyer posted on Twitter by popular user @YehLog showed that an upcoming event by the IT professionals wing of the radical group in Chennai counted Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu and Accenture MD and head of operations, Chennai, Rama S Ramachandran among key speakers. The event titled ‘Resurgent Bharath’ is due to take place in Chennai on February 2.
Hello @Accenture, why is your India MD at a function of a religious extremist paramilitary group that seeks to target minorities and has been responsible for the most brutal acts of violence the country has seen? pic.twitter.com/Be0m16rZM9
— Yeh Log ! (@yehlog) January 6, 2020
Users called out both the companies for their top executives accepting the invitation from an extremist organisation, with one user calling Vembu a “fascist enabler”.
One user said, “Extraordinary: from ambassadors to corporate honchos, crawling on their bellies to pay homage to a violent fascist formation that was banned for so many years.”
Extraordinary: from ambassadors to corporate honchos, crawling on their bellies to pay homage to a violent fascist formation that was banned for so many years.
— Priyamvada Gopal, Proud JNU Alum (@PriyamvadaGopal) January 6, 2020
Accenture has no other option since it has contracts from the Centre remarked another user. “They don’t have any option. Accenture has so many contracts from states and the central govt, sadly if they want to build their business with the govt, they will have to tow RSS line. Its the dark truth about business in India.”
They don't have any option. Accenture has so many contracts from states and the central govt , sadly if they want to build their business with the govt, they will have to tow RSS line. Its the dark truth about business in India.
— Murtaza Telya (@Mt_Stocks19) January 6, 2020
Another user said, “It is time to avoid companies and their products supporting & strengthening Fascists.”
Public Advisory:@Accenture MD and @zoho CEO are chief guest at a RSS event to be held in Chennai.
It is time to avoid companies and their products supporting & strengthening Fascists. #CAA_NRCProtests pic.twitter.com/iGQiy1VMml
— | انوار اروند (@anivar) January 6, 2020
Not going to call for a boycott, since to each his own. But I’m in a position to cancel all business with @zoho thanks to @svembu ‘s participation in this event. https://t.co/aHkXtAWjoU
— Sachin Tandon (@cugwmui) January 6, 2020
Vembu, however, was defiant and commented saying that he doesn’t decide his views based on Twitter attacks. “I don’t decide my views based on Twitter attacks. If you dislike which events I attend, please do what your conscience dictates and I will do what mine dictates. We earn our daily bread due to our work and we will continue to do quality work. I won’t be responding to attacks.”
I don't decide my views based on Twitter attacks. If you dislike which events I attend, please do what your conscience dictates and I will do what mine dictates. We earn our daily bread due to our work and we will continue to do quality work. I won't be responding to attacks.
— Sridhar Vembu (@svembu) January 6, 2020
To which a user shot back saying, “When you talk abt earning bread don’t talk abt conscience.. Your actions suggest you sold your conscience to earn your bread”.
When you talk abt earning bread don't talk abt conscience.. Your actions suggest you sold your conscience to earn your bread..
— Saikata ..சைகதா சாட்டர்ஜி… سائکات چٹرجی (@saikata4u) January 6, 2020
Several Twitter users also tagged Accenture CEO Julie Sweet to draw her attention to Ramachandran’s participation in the RSS event. While Accenture didn’t directly respond to the controversy, however, hours later, Ramachandran tweeted saying he “not sure how this misunderstanding happened, but I have no affiliation with this group and never agreed to speak at or attend this event.”
I am not sure how this misunderstanding happened, but I have no affiliation with this group and never agreed to speak at or attend this event.
— Rama S. Ramachandran (@RamaAccenture) January 6, 2020
RSS is an extremist militant outfit, associated with orchestrating violent sectarian attacks against religious minorities in India. The outfit has been banned multiple times, including in the aftermath of the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. In a communique issued on February 4, 1948, the Central government said it was banning the RSS “to root out the forces of hate and violence that are at work in our country and imperil the freedom of the Nation and darken her fair name”.
RSS has been reaching out to techies since an over a decade now, holding militant training centres called “shakhas” over the weekends in different cities. And this is not the first time top business executives have chosen to appear at an RSS event. In October 2019, Shiv Nadar was the chief guest at an RSS Vijay Dashami event. A day before that Wipro chairman Azim Premji visited RSS founder KB Hedgewar’s memorial and paid tribute. In September 2019, industrialist Rahul Bajaj had also paid homage to the statue of Hedgewar. Tata Sons’ former Chairman Ratan Tata, too, visited the extremist outfit’s headquarters twice within five months.
