Indigo denies claims of banning sindoor, tilak; cautions against sharing ‘fabricated’ documents online
IndiGo issued an official statement on Saturday, saying that documents circulating on social media regarding the airline’s maintenance policy are “incorrect”. The airline claims the viral report is not true.
The controversy erupted when an X user shared some screenshots of what appeared to be IndiGo’s maintenance manuals. The documentation seems to explicitly prohibit items such as: tilak, sindoor, mangalsutraAnd kalavawhile allowing other religious signs such as headscarves and turbans.
“We ask everyone to be careful and avoid sharing unverified or fabricated documents,” a company spokesperson told Mint.
IndiGo also assured that its policies, particularly for cabin crew and pilots, have been designed in line with “global best practices” and with the primary objective of ensuring the safety of operations and the well-being of our crew and onboard customers.
“IndiGo remains steadfastly committed to fostering an inclusive workplace. The safety and well-being of our crew, customers and employees remain our top priority,” the spokesperson said.
Netizens fuel debate on workplace dress code after Lenskart controversy
The controversy over IndiGo’s personal grooming policy comes amid a wider debate over workplace dress codes, triggered by a viral “in-store style guide” from Lenskart earlier this month, which drew criticism for allegedly allowing hijabs and turbans. bindis, tilak And kalawas.
Even though CEO Peyush Bansal called it an “outdated educational memo” and publicly apologized, the backlash continued, leading the company to introduce a revised policy that “clearly and unambiguously” welcomed all symbols of faith.
“Our more than 2,400 stores are run by people who bring their beliefs, their traditions, their identities to work every day. This is never something we would ask anyone to leave at the door,” he added in a statement last week.
In an earlier statement, Bansal had also clarified that the viral document “contained a wrong line about the present”. bindi/tilak “This should never have been written and does not reflect our values or actual practices.”
Air India also faces pressure over alleged dress code practices
IndiGo is not the only airline to come under scrutiny for its viral dress code documents. Recently, Air India also came into limelight after its internal maintenance instructions surfaced online and reportedly came under criticism for objecting to the following items: Sindoor, Choora, Mangalsutra and more.
“Tikkas, sindoor of any color is not allowed on the forehead,” according to the airlines’ viral cabin crew handbook. The viral posts also claimed that there were strict rules in place regarding the uniform’s accessories and jewellery. Only plain white or yellow gold bracelets without any designs or stones are allowed for staff, while bangles, mixed metal bangles or those with embellishments are not allowed.
He added that staff are also prohibited from wearing wedding choir, religious or black threads, beads on wrists, ankles or forearms. Religious items such as chains, necklaces or mangalsutras, taali, threads or beads are not allowed around the neck. Similarly, toe rings, anklets, sindoor, braces, birthstones, colored stones, mehndi and liquid vermillion are not allowed, as well as nose pins.
