India bids farewell to people’s minister

New Delhi: A sea of mourners on Wednesday paid their final tributes to India’s former foreign minister Sushma Swaraj, who died on Tuesday night following a cardiac arrest.

A senior leader of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and India’s first full-time woman foreign minister, Swaraj made the Foreign Ministry accessible to the public. She was foreign minister during the first term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi government from 2014 to 2019.

After a renal transplant about three years back, Swaraj opted out of contesting the general elections earlier this year.

Her admirers were in tears as her body made its way from her residence to the BJP headquarters in the heart of the Indian capital, where it was kept till afternoon.

Modi, Indian Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu and a throng of senior leaders across the political spectrum paid tributes as Swaraj was cremated with full state honours later in the evening.

Among those who paid moving tributes was a 27-year-old hearing impaired woman who was rescued from Pakistan and brought back to India after being stranded there for 15 years. Called “India’s daughter” by Swaraj, Geeta had failed to find her family although many claimed to be her parents, and Swaraj even sought marriage proposals for her. Geeta, who currently lives in Indore, paid tributes to the late minister in sign language.

Known for helping out Indians in distress around the world, Swaraj was active on social media and often instructed the diplomatic corps to help citizens in foreign countries. With more than 13 million followers, Swaraj made sure she was easily approachable. She helped several Pakistanis get an Indian visa for various medical reasons, from an open-heart surgery to a liver transplant.

Swaraj successfully resolved a 2017 stand-off between Indian and Chinese troops along the border, pushed ties with East Asian nations and expanded passport infrastructure in the country. Leaders cutting across party lines expressed shock at her sudden death. Modi described Swaraj as a remarkable leader who devoted her life to public service and the poor.

“Despite the fact that Modi was himself active in foreign policy, Swaraj was able to carve out her own space and was respected around the world for her diplomatic capability,” said Manoj Joshi, a distinguished fellow at the Observer Research Foundation think-tank in New Delhi, adding she was seen as a potential prime ministerial candidate.

“She was able to develop a direct connect to the people through her ability to respond to requests of individuals, which is quite extraordinary for a politician,” Joshi added.

Who was Sushma Swaraj? A politician of many firsts 

• The death of Sushma Swaraj, a politician of many firsts, marks an end to a political era in Delhi. Born to a father who was a member of the right-wing Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Sushma Swaraj joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after the 1975-77 Emergency in India — and steadily rose through the ranks.

• In her political career spanning more than 50 years, Swaraj got the credit of being the first on many counts.

• She became the youngest cabinet minister of the state of Haryana at the age of 25 in 1977.

• She became the first woman chief minister of Delhi in 1998. Her successor was Sheila Dikshit, who went on to occupy the post for 15 years and who passed away last month.

• Swaraj was the first full-time woman External Affairs Minister of India between 2014-19. Former prime minister Indira Gandhi headed the ministry for a short span multiple times.

• Swaraj was also the first woman Leader of Opposition in the Lower House of parliament — between 2009 and 2014.

• She was not only the first woman spokesperson in the BJP, but also in any national party.

Swaraj often instructed diplomatic corps to help citizens in foreign countries

Swaraj often instructed diplomatic corps to help citizens in foreign countries

A sea of mourners on Wednesday paid their final tributes to India’s former foreign minister Sushma Swaraj, who died on Tuesday following a cardiac arrest.

She was foreign minister during the first term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi government from 2014 to 2019.

Her admirers were in tears on Wednesday. Among those who paid moving tributes was a 27-year-old hearing impaired woman who was rescued from Pakistan and brought back to India after being stranded there for 15 years.

Known for helping out Indians in distress around the world, Swaraj was active on social media and often instructed the diplomatic corps to help Indian citizens in foreign countries.

With more than 13 million followers, Swaraj made sure she was easily approachable. She helped several Pakistanis get an Indian visa for various medical reasons.