A glorious chapter has come to an end with the sudden demise of one of BJP’s most loyal soldier, Sushma Swaraj. Her four-decade long career spans through thick and thin of the political landscape and was peppered with major success stories. As India mourns the departure of Sushma and reminisces over her countless milestones, there is one gift to Goa that will be etched in time, the International Film Festival of India. During her tenure as a Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Sushma announced Goa as the permanent venue for IFFI as a promised gift to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar for BJP’s victory in 2002.
A lawyer by profession, she has many ‘firsts’ to her credit. Besides being the first woman chief minister of Delhi and the first woman spokesperson of a national party, Sushma is only the second woman after India Gandhi to hold the external affairs ministry. The list is long. But the one attribute that holds her high is her easy-accessibility as foreign minister of India. There have been countless times when Indians, including Goans, have been in distress overseas and reached out to Sushma. There were people tweeting her for help and she would promptly respond. Known for her social media heroics and ‘digital diplomacy’, she would provide that ray of hope reaching out to foreign lands and help in reuniting families.
From ensuring safe return of captive Indians, to those entangled in a law and order situation on foreign land, and even mediating in issues like lost passports and documents, Sushma was there to bank on. The positivity with which she approached situations proved to be a soothing balm in times of distress. She was aptly called the “Crusading Supermom of India” by The Washington Post for solving the problems of distressed Indians around the world.
Talk about the Smart Cities project, and Panaji is one of them, it was Sushma’s trip to Singapore that gave a new dimension to the concept. She struck an understanding with Singapore to utilize their expertise in smart cities, urban planning and water management strategies.
On the political front, she leaves behind a legacy of a kind. Known for her revolutionary work, Sushma took India’s diplomatic relations with foreign countries to a whole new level. She showed exemplary composure and acumen in handling foreign affairs, especially during the most volatile Indo-Pak phase of conflict. And she commanded respect from leaders across the spectrum.
As a foreign minister she got an opportunity to meet a galaxy of world leaders visiting India besides the official foreign trips. From the traditional namaste to a firm hand-shake, Sushma grew in stature every passing year and significantly improved her understanding of world affairs. She reiterated India’s call for “zero-tolerance” towards terrorism across the world and sought to give a greater push to India’s Look East Policy.
The tweet-savvy leader remained connected with the affairs of the nation even hours before she could breathe her last. While thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for government’s move on J&K she tweeted “I was waiting to see this day in my lifetime”, and this was her last tweet before she passed away at AIIMS on the night of August 6 after suffering a cardiac arrest. Adeus to India’s woman of substance.
