The nation is still reeling from the sudden demise of former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday night. She was only 67 years old. She gained massive admiration for her responsiveness and compassion.
From Indians stranded in conflict zones to foreigners requesting urgent visas for medical treatment, she became a beacon of hope on social media. From reuniting families to helping citizens recover their passport and travel home safe, every request for help, whether small or big, would get her attention and be instantly resolved if it was anywhere in her domain as foreign minister.
Several path-breaking measures such as the expansion of the passport infrastructure and enhanced engagement with the East were the highlights of her tenure as the External Affairs Minister. She was only the second woman to hold the portfolio after Indira Gandhi, who briefly kept the ministry under her while being the prime minister. She was also the first woman Chief Minister of Delhi and the first woman spokesperson for any national political party.
During her tenure as Union Health Minister (January 2003 to May 2004) she opened up 6 All India Institute of Medical Sciences, at Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Jodhpur, Patna, Raipur and Rishikesh. “A glorious chapter in Indian politics comes to an end. India grieves the demise of a remarkable leader who devoted her life to public service and bettering lives of the poor,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a Twitter post late Tuesday. UN General Assembly President Maria Fernanda Espinosa has expressed condolences at the demise of India’s former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, describing her as an “extraordinary” woman and leader who devoted her life to public service.
She was closely associated with Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of RSS and went on to join the Janata Party. In fact, Swaraj was an active participant in the anti-Emergency movement. She started practicing as a Supreme Court lawyer after passing her LL.B. at Punjab University.
She became the country’s youngest cabinet minister at the mere age of 25 when she joined the Haryana government under Devi Lal. Swaraj joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and was eventually appointed secretary of the party. She held the position of the all India Secretary of the party for two years. She played a key role in strengthening the BJP across the country through the 1990s. Swaraj made history once again when she became the first woman Leader of Opposition, replacing her mentor Lal Krishna Advani. She held this position till 2014.
Swaraj bagged the prestigious External Affairs portfolio under the Modi government. She was the second woman to take charge of this ministry after Indira Gandhi. She became the first Indian to address the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting as the guest of honour. This was a diplomatic victory for India, not only because it was the country’s first invite in five decades but also because it came amid high Indo-Pak tensions.
The nation will miss this brilliant orator and inspiration to millions.
