Wipro Technologies is under police and legal scrutiny after a former female employee alleged she was pressured by a colleague to convert from Hinduism to Islam and marry a Muslim man. She claims that after refusing, she faced months of harassment, was forced to resign, and that management ignored her complaints while covering up covert religious conversion practices.
ANOTHER INSTANCE OF FORCED MARRIAGE and religious conversion has emerged in Maharashtra. Weeks after explosive revelations about forced religious conversion at the Nashik Unit of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) were revealed, Wipro Technologies, an IT firm based in Pune, has come under the scanner for the same. A former female employee has alleged that she faced coercion to marry and convert her religion whilst working at the firm's Hinjawadi office.
Following her allegations, a complaint has been filed with the Hinjawadi police.
At a press conference organized in Pune by representatives of the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, the woman made the allegations against Wipro Technologies IT firm. She stated that another female colleague pressured her to marry a Muslim man and adopt Islam religion. The colleague also passed remarks about the woman’s current faith (Hinduism), and asserted that she would have a better lifestyle and more opportunities abroad if she were to undergo religious conversion.
“Since April, a woman who worked under me had been pressuring me to undergo religious conversion. She told me that if I underwent conversion, I would get more money and it would enhance the quality of my life", the former employee stated.
The complainant also said that she maintained distance with the colleague after her persistent comments, and only engaged in official communication with her. After her refusal to convert, she was purportedly subjected to mental torture and harassment.
“Due to this forced situation, I had to hold this press conference. I have endured harassment and torture for 10 months. I had to bring this forward, and I also want to create awareness that if women are Hindu, we should at least take some steps for their protection,” the employee remarked.
Talking about the ‘web’ of religious conversion, the employee remarked upon the process of religious conditioning that happened, and how it’s covered up by higher-ups.
“The way these people trap women, Hindu women, and then force them, compel them, to either follow their ways or leave their jobs. And this undercover process of religious conversion, the highlights of which we never get to know. We think we are just having a casual talk, while they are trying to trap you and make you accept conversion to Islam. When we talk to the company about these things, the company says these things don't happen in our company, and it's covered up,” the complainant alleged.
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The woman also approached senior authorities at Wipro Technologies with her complaint, but her appeals fell on deaf ears and no action was taken. In contrast, a complaint was filed against her in front of the firm’s Internal Ombuds Committee.
After her refusal to convert, the former employee said that company officials forcefully obtained her resignation. Advocate Vivek Bhosale, representing the complainant, has issued a legal notice to the IT firm citing that her forced resignation was in violation of principles of natural justice and labor laws. The legal notice seeks reinstatement, continuity of service, withdrawal of the resignation and Rs 50 lakh compensation for alleged mental trauma and reputational damage.
Police authorities say that an investigation is underway to probe into this matter.
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