South Korean firm slaps notice on Indian employee for chanting Bharat Mata Ki Jai

Ahmedabad: A South Korean company, which is engaged with state-PSU Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation (GMDC), caused a stir after its management allegedly slapped a notice on an Indian employee for chanting "Bharat Mata Ki Jai".

KEPCO Plant Service and Engineering Company Limited, a South Korean government enterprise operating and maintaining a GMDC-run Akrimota Thermal Power Station located at Nani Chher village in Kutch district, recently issued notice to a junior engineer in which, among other disciplinary issues, the company reprimanded him for chanting "Bharat Mata Ki Ji" on one occasion.

The matter reached the GMDC management which promptly issued a circular to all its affiliated companies stating that the slogan is a matter of national pride that any Indian is free to chant anywhere, a top GMDC official said on Wednesday.

"During one of its departmental meetings held around two months ago, the company was reviewing its security measures. When employees were chanting safety slogans, one Dilip Shrimali shouted Bharat Mata Ki Jai. Due to language problem, Korean management could not understand the slogan and served him notice," said plant general manager A. K. Garg.

The employee tried to explain the slogan to the management. But the management on July 20 served him the notice, stating that the company's platform was not appropriate for shouting such a slogan.

The management also raised other disciplinary issue with the employee, like his talking over mobile phone "continuously" and not following safety measures while working in the plant.

The employees' union of the company approached the GMDC management which "immediately issued a circular", Garg said.

"We immediately issued a circular after the matter came up before us. We have issued the circular, saying anybody can chant Bharat Mata Ki Jai. Today even the company management chanted the slogan and said they respect India's patriotic zeal," Garg said.