An Indian-origin man in Saudi Arabia has been dismissed from his job for posting “derogatory comments” on women, amid the Sabarimala temple dispute, a media report said on Wednesday.
A Keralite, Deepak Pavithram, on the job with Lulu Hypermarket in Riyadh, was sacked on Tuesday for making misogynistic and inconsiderate remarks about women on social media.
At least two incidents were reported of Indian men, in the past four months being, fired from their jobs in Middle Eastern countries for derogatory, insensitive, or offensive statements.
Lulu Group’s chief communications officer V. Nandakumar said the company has a “strict and zero tolerance policy” with regard to staff misusing social media to spread “malicious or derogatory comments which might hurt religious sentiments”.
“All GCC nations are home to a large cosmopolitan population from almost all countries in the world and we respect their sentiments, culture and religious beliefs,” Nandakumar said.
Kerala expats in the Gulf took to social media to express their appreciation for Yusuff Ali M.A., chairman and managing director of Lulu Group, for taking an intense step against the derogatory remarks, the report said.
The Supreme Court on September 28 had ruled that women will be permitted entry into Sabarimala temple in Kerala.
Sabarimala temple opened its door for all women visitors of all age groups for the first time on Wednesday after the historic apex court ruling earlier this month.
Tension prevailed Wednesday morning in Kerala’s Nilackal, the main gateway to Sabarimala after the police used force to scatter protesters opposing the entry of girls and women of menstrual age into the hill shrine.
The temple would be closed on October 22 after the five-day monthly prayer during the Malayalam month of Thulam.
In August, a man from Kerala was fired from his job at the Lulu Group after he made offensive comments on social media over the rescue and relief efforts that were underway in the flood-hit state. Rahul Cheru Palayattu, who worked as a cashier at Lulu Hypermarket in Muscat, was responding to a social media post where someone had asked if sanitary napkins were required. To this, Rahul replied, asking if they required condoms.
Likewise, in June, Krishnakumaran Nair, a Malayali working in Dubai was sacked from his job after he went live on Facebook threatening to kill Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
-Sowmya Sangam
