I write this with a heavy heart. I never thought the demise of any politician will move me to tears. The unfortunate demise of former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has come as a shock. We all know death is inevitable, for all of us. But no matter how much we are prepared, when it finally knocks on the door, it still takes us by surprise.
Sushma Swaraj’s death has left a strange void. She had not contested the recently concluded elections on health grounds. She had undergone kidney transplant a few years back. She had been keeping unwell. All these are facts. However, it still is tough to come to terms with her passing.
A lawyer by profession, Sushma Swaraj started practice as a Supreme Court lawyer in 1973 at 21. She rose to prominence among political ranks when she organised protests against Indira Gandhi’s government. She was also part of George Fernandes’ legal defence team in 1975 during Indira Gandhi imposed Emergency.
I do not have words to speak on her political achievements and how she shattered the glass ceiling way too many times in her career spanning over four decades. I would like to bring a compilation of tweets which show how she was just as human as each one of us. Oh and the inimitable sense of humour.
Someone on Twitter joked about Indian embassy on Mars after a successful Mangalyaan mission. She was ready with an answer.
Even if you are stuck on the Mars, Indian Embassy there will help you. https://t.co/Smg1oXKZXD
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) June 8, 2017
During the run-up to general elections, Swaraj had added ‘Chowkidar’ as part of the BJP #MainBhiChowkidar campaign. Someone quipped how can she call herself a chowkidar, after all, she was the ‘only sensible’ person in BJP. She responded to how she was doing the chowkidari of Indians abroad.
Because I am doing Chowkidari of Indian interests and Indian nationals abroad. https://t.co/dCgiBPsagz
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) March 30, 2019
Another one of my absolute favourite tweets from her was when she very nicely, politely told someone who reached out to her to get his fridge repaired that she couldn’t really help him because she is busy helping Indians in distress.
Brother I cannot help you in matters of a Refrigerator. I am very busy with human beings in distress. https://t.co/cpC5cWBPcz
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) June 13, 2016
Oh, and you didn’t really need to have a huge follower count to get former minister’s attention. As displayed in the following set of tweets.
I am asking Indian High Commissioner in Malaysia to help you. @hcikl https://t.co/o6S3VGNhop
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) March 11, 2019
One Gavy reached out to Swaraj who was in Malaysia and needed help. Swaraj immediately asked the High Commission in Malaysia to help him out. Gavy’s message had grammatical errors and someone pointed it out to him how he could have written it in Hindi or Punjabi instead since English does not seem to be his strongest point. The ever amazing Swaraj responded that after becoming the foreign minister, she has learnt to understand English in all accents and grammar.
There is no problem. After becoming Foreign Minister, I have learnt to follow English of all accents and grammar. https://t.co/2339A1Fea2
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) March 11, 2019
Two weeks back, when Mange Ram Garg, former Delhi BJP President passed away, Swaraj had posted her condolence message on Twitter. Former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had also just recently passed away. In response to her condolence message, a troll, Irfan Khan had wished death upon the former Union Minister. He tweeted to Sushma Swaraj that someday she too would be remembered in the same manner.
Sushma Swaraj had shut him down by thanking him for his kind thought.
Is bhawana ke liye apko mera agrim dhanyawad.
I thank you in anticipation for this kind thought. https://t.co/pbuW6R6gcE
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 21, 2019
And at last, as if almost she had a premonition, last evening, just hours before she suffered a massive cardiac arrest, she tweeted her thanks to the Prime Minister for dilution of Article 370, which made Jammu and Kashmir an integral part of India without any conditions and riders attached.
प्रधान मंत्री जी – आपका हार्दिक अभिनन्दन. मैं अपने जीवन में इस दिन को देखने की प्रतीक्षा कर रही थी. @narendramodi ji – Thank you Prime Minister. Thank you very much. I was waiting to see this day in my lifetime.
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) August 6, 2019
She tweeted that she was waiting to see this day in her lifetime. It is almost as if she knew.
Sushma Swaraj was one of the most prominent ministers in the Modi government in the first term. She will sorely be missed.
