A Long Island couple, who happen to be millionaires, were indicted on charges of slavery last week. The couple, Varsha Mahender Sabhnani and Mahender Murlidhar Sabhnani are the founders of a prosperous perfume company called Eternal Love Parfums that ships their fragrances all around the globe. Mahender is currently involved in a trademark lawsuit in which he argues that L'Oréal and Giorgio Armani have wrongly utlized the perfume name Attitude, to which he held the copyright until he failed to renew it.
With the development of the slavery charges, it would go without saying that this could very well affect his lawsuit over the name Attitude and Mahender's lawyer has expressed the same.
According to reports, the couple were housing two women in their home against their will and inflicting upont them bodily and mental harm by way of restricting food intake, repetitive showering, repetitive climbing of stairs, eating 25 hot chili peppers, beatings, enduring scalding with hot water, etc. The women, who have been identified only as Samirah and Nona, were also promised a certain amount of money for their work and apparently what was promised and what was given were two seperate things.
The investigation started when one of the slaves escaped the home and was found in front of a store front wearing only bottoms and a towel. Catholic charities have stepped up to care for the women. Currently bail has yet to be posted for the millionaire couple.
You can read more on this here.
Some questions:
-What is your initial response to these accusations?
-If convicted, what do you think their punishment should be?
-Does slavery really still exist in America?
-Do you think that L'Oréal and Giorgio Armani had anything to do with these charges being brought out to the public now?
-Do you think that the media is more concerned about the welfare of the two women or about the shock value of the story?
-What response and responsibility should the Church have in this?
1 comment:
-What is your initial response to these accusations?
-If convicted, what do you think their punishment should be?
-Does slavery really still exist in America?
-Do you think that L'Oréal and Giorgio Armani had anything to do with these charges being brought out to the public now?
-Do you think that the media is more concerned about the welfare of the two women or about the shock value of the story?
-What response and responsibility should the Church have in this?
I am from India, and i have myself experienced such trauma along with my mother at the hands of such employers.
Way back in 1988-89, when i was 6 years old my mother was offered a Job as a cook in a Indian Restaurant in Toronto, Canada. The restaurant was run by a Indian Couple. They offered us residence in their home as a part of the employment contract.
My mom went to canada along with me on immigration, but once we landed there, the real ordeal began. My mother was made to work on 18 hour shifts, even i was abused and scolded by her employers and their children.
We stayed in canada for 3 months, and somehow my mother escaped from their home one day along with me. And with the help of some good people in Canada, we came back to canada. Though we had a Permanent Residency in Canada, my mother decided to come back to India to live life peacefully.
Thanks to her good decision, i am now gainfully employed as a Computer Engineer in a reputed Organization in India.
But I am still confused and saddened to see why Indians behave in such a gruesome manner to others.
But i do appreciate the US Government and the police for rescuing these women and assisting them. If the same case would have happened here in India, this whole affair would have been sweeped under the carpet.
This incident that my mother and myself went across has left me traumatized to this date (as mentioned by my pshychiatrist). But to top it all, my mother (like many others) did not call the police or raise any alarm, we simply came back to india. But overall, i don't want to sound racist, but i have seen that Americans/Canadians are much better than "Indian Americans".
I am sorry if i had offended any one
And now answering your questions,
First of all please keep in mind, i am Indian born and brought up mostly in India, and i myself have experienced such trauma.
-What is your initial response to these accusations?
It is still shocking to see people treating others like this. But however for me such incidents involving indians are nothing new, for me.
-If convicted, what do you think their punishment should be?
The US Government should pass strict laws against slavery, and making it a offence punsihable with life in prison.
-Does slavery really still exist in America?
I don't know, because i don't live in America.
-Do you think that L'Oréal and Giorgio Armani had anything to do with these charges being brought out to the public now?
I am sure L'Oreal and Armani would benefit in there suits as Mahinder is having his hands full now.
-Do you think that the media is more concerned about the welfare of the two women or about the shock value of the story?
I think Media is exploiting the shock value. I would be more happy if the media helps in creating a Fund for the welfare of these two women.
-What response and responsibility should the Church have in this?
The Church cannot be held responsible for such acts of others. But yes, the church should raise this issue in the congregations and create awareness.
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