RSS invite to IT honchos for Chennai event dubbed ploy to saffronise TN professionals

An invite to two well-known IT chiefs for an upcoming programme organised by the Chennai chapter of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has stirred up a controversy in the IT circle, with many dubbing it as a ploy to saffronise the sector.

The event titled ‘Resurgent Bharath’ is scheduled to be held on February 2 at APL Global School, Thoraipakkam.

Sridhar Vembu, founder and CEO of Zoho Corporation has been invited as the chief guest of the event while S Ramachandran, the Chennai managing director of Accenture Solutions was named as the guest of honour at the event.

Handling the backlash

After the invite became public, many have questioned the decision of the tech giants to have accepted it, especially when the two companies they hold deal with public data. While Zoho runs ‘Zoho Mail’, an email service for business enterprises, Accenture has been involved in Aadhaar’s biometric programme.

Ramachandran, however, has refused to have accepted any invite of the sort or having any affiliation with the RSS. “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,” he tweeted recently.

Some reports say the RSS has withdrawn Ramachandran’s name from the invitation list following his tweet.

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Vembu on the other hand, told his detractors that he doesn’t make his decisions 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,” He tweeted.

Vembu’s response has made many stakeholders to consider their relationship with Zoho.

Speaking to The Federal, one of the employees who spoke on the condition of anonymity, Vembu is not an RSS supporter. “Vembu is spiritual in nature and follows Buddhism. He always approaches everything in his life, philosophically. He has the interest to know about the length, breadth and depth of each issue he comes across. People in Tamil Nadu always looked RSS as a kind of terrorist organisation. Vembu may have decided to participate in the event, in order to break that perception,” he said.

The employee, however, says the Zoho chief doesn’t allow his religious and spiritual beliefs to come in the way of his work, neither discriminates employees on that basis. “There is no discrimination of any kind followed in our organisation. Business and personal ideology are two different things. We have our own morals. So we don’t compromise with the safety of our customers data,” he said.

Event to strengthen RSS’ hold

Shyam, a former president, IT employees’ wing – New Democratic Labour Front believes the event organised by the RSS is to strengthen its hold in the state.

“For several years, IT employee unions have been bereft of any political affiliations. Through such events, the RSS is trying to bring these unions under its hold. This will help the BJP get a foothold in the state,” he said.

Alagunambi Welkin, general secretary, Union of IT and ITES Employees says a majority of IT employees, who hail from lower middle class families, are pro-BJP. “The RSS organises such meeting to spread its political agenda and not to discuss the welfare of the IT employees. It is the individual employee’s decision to take part in the meeting. So we don’t have any rights to restrict the employees from taking part in the meeting but we tell them that this meeting is not for their welfare” he said.

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A city joint secretary of RSS Chennai chapter, who requested anonymity, said the RSS conducts such events every year and invites heads of IT companies to address the gathering.

“After having discussions with the guests, we included their names with their confirmation. But now, one of the guests is talking differently. This event will only motivational lectures. IT chiefs attending this function is a simple issue. But the social media gave more publicity to it. We hope, the number of people attending this meeting will increase more compared to past events, which witnessed a thin attendance,” he said.