Sushma Swaraj Put People At The Core Of Indian Diplomacy: An Altruistic Mantri At Heart

Swaraj, as External Affairs Minister of 'elite' MEA, brought a sense of assertiveness in India's diplomacy and was known for her prompt response on Twitter to address grievances of Indians overseas as well as within India.

NEW DELHI: One of the most prolific politicians of India Sushma Swaraj, who brought a rare empathy and a human approach to the nation's diplomacy, passed away on Tuesday. Swaraj, who's sudden demise triggered a wave of shock and grief among Indians, was seen as a minister who helped in putting people at the core of Indian diplomacy. The former EAM was very active in social media during her stint as minister. Swaraj, as External Affairs Minister of 'elite' MEA, brought a sense of assertiveness in India's diplomacy and was known for her prompt response on Twitter to address grievances of Indians overseas as well as within India. Swaraj had helped the deaf-mute woman Geeta who returned to India in October 2015 after accidentally crossing over to Pakistan. On the intervention of Swaraj, Geeta was brought from Pakistan where she remained stranded for more than a decade. As EAM, Swaraj had also personally monitoring Hamid Nihal Ansari's case. Ansari was detained and arrested six years back after he went to Pakistan to meet a woman he had befriended through social media. He returned to India on December 18 after completing a three-year prison sentence in a Pakistani jail. Last year, Ansari and his family had thanked Swaraj and her ministry for persisting with the case and taking it up with Islamabad. During a meeting, Ansari told her "Please forgive me...Thank you so much," On Wednesday, MEA twitter "#TeamMEA mourns the sad demise of former External Affairs Minister #sushmaswaraj. Enjoying immense respect within the Ministry and outside, for her compassionate and amiable personality, she has left a lasting legacy for putting people at the core of Indian diplomacy."

#TeamMEA mourns the sad demise of former External Affairs Minister #sushmaswaraj. Enjoying immense respect within the Ministry and outside, for her compassionate and amiable personality, she has left a lasting legacy for putting people at the core of Indian diplomacy. pic.twitter.com/LWUyZVyz2q

— Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) August 7, 2019

She was also known for her personal engagement with people on Twitter in addressing grievances through her social media profile. She was also loved by users for her witty and humorous replies. Many on social media condoled the demise of former external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and remembered her as a "caring" and "remarkable" leader. Lauding her for her outreach to the Indian diaspora, Former Minister of State (MoS) for external affairs VK Singh who worked with Swaraj in the ministry during the first term of the Narendra Modi government, said, "I was fortunate enough to work with her during the last term of our government. It was her witty comebacks & empathetic attitude towards every Indian who faced issues when travelling abroad that made her one of the most loved EAMs of India." Swaraj, who was not only the first woman chief minister of Delhi but also the country's first foreign affairs minister, passed away at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here on Tuesday night. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) veteran, who suffered a cardiac arrest, was 67. Just hours before her demise, BJP stalwart Sushma Swaraj Tuesday congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the government revoked the special status for Jammu and Kashmir, saying "I was waiting to see this day in my lifetime". Swaraj had a kidney transplant in 2016 and had opted out of contesting Lok Sabha polls earlier this year for health reasons. The portfolio is now held by former foreign secretary S. Jaishankar. She is survived by her husband Swaraj Kaushal and daughter Bansuri. ALSO WATCH: PM Narendra Modi Cries While Paying Tribute To Sushma Swaraj