Delhi’s Foreign Journalists Club terminated an employee for no fault

Jobless for 3 months Sanjiv is in dire straits; Says he wants to end his life

New Delhi, Feb. 24 (Delhi Crown): In the first week of December 2021 the elected Governing Committee of the Foreign Correspondents Club of South Asia, or FCC of South Asia, situated in the heart of New Delhi, had terminated one of its employees named Sanjiv Kumar Verma, allegedly for no fault of his.

Now, Sanjiv is hand-to-mouth, not been able to get any job over the past three months, with there being no openings amid prevailing Covid conditions.

Recently, he made an unsuccessful suicide attempt as he’s not been able to financially support his family.

“I was terminated for no fault of mine. One day in November I was served a Show Cause Notice about a small incident inside the Club, to which I had replied within the stipulated time. After a few days I was issued another letter saying the Governing Committee was not satisfied with my reply and that my services were terminated,” said Sanjiv.

“I have a family to support, I have a three-year old son, my wife is pregnant and also ill. Then I have old parents whom I am supposed to support too. After serving the FCC of South Asia for 8 years my services were unreasonably terminated, for no fault of mine. I was made a scapegoat in the Club’s politics,” said Sanjiv said and added – “I come from a humble background from Bihar. I don’t know anyone in Delhi. Through my sheer hard-work I completed Masters in Arts (M.A.) and did several computer courses in order to serve the FCC of South Asia in the best way possible. I had joined the Club as a Waiter and rose to become the Club’s Assistant Manager, before I was terminated sans any valid reason.”

Looking weak, poor and exasperated at being rendered jobless for no fault of his, Sanjiv further said – “I worked day and night for the FCC of South Asia when it was on the verge of being shut. A few years ago, the Club had gone bankrupt. Everyone knows that I worked 24×7, bringing the Club out of its dire economic situation, though under the guidance of the then Managing Committee.”

Giving a dejected look with long beard, Sanjiv further said – “I have lost all hopes of living now. I can’t see my family members sleeping hungry every night. I want to end my life, and the present Government Committee of the FCC of South Asia should be held responsible for my death.”

“THE DELHI CROWN” made several attempts to contact members of the Governing Committee of the FCC of South Asia, including Munish Gupta, Tawqueer Hussain, Sebastien (journalist from France), Emily Schmall (New York Times Correspondent in Delhi), and others, but couldn’t generate any considerable response.

The FCC of South Asia is situated at a prime location, just opposite to the Supreme Court of India, and adjacent to Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s official residence on Mathura Road. It is managed by the Union Ministry of Urban Development, and its annual lease is extended with the active involvement of the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Recently, the Club was in news for being run by a non-journalist named Munish Gupta, who runs a YouTube Channel which hardly has any subscribers. Munish Gupta has been associated with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and runs a few corporate companies in his name.

As per the records of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Munish Gupta is “not accredited’ with the Press Information Bureau (PIB) like thousands of other senior journalists living in and around Delhi.