Remembering Iron Lady Sushma Swaraj
BJP veteran and former Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj passed away on Tuesday at the age of 67, following a heart attack.
Her last Twitter post was regarding thanking PM Narendra Modi for the government’s progress on Kashmir issue, stating that she was waiting for this day throughout her lifetime.
Swaraj, who was BJP’s most phenomenal female face, didn’t contest the newly held Lok Sabha elections in which the party won a colossal majority. Last November, she had declared that she wouldn't contest the general elections.
From being labelled as the 'supermom' of India by Washington Post to becoming one of the most-followed politicians on Twitter, the late foreign minister had truly struck a chord with young and old alike with her twenty-four-seven social media presence, eagerness to help to any Indian in distress worldwide, and ready wit on social media.
Officials would vouch that Swaraj handled policy matters of MEA with the same delicacy and finesse and developed robust chemistry with her counterparts from across the globe. She was the second woman to carry the post of External Affairs after Indira Gandhi.
From becoming the youngest minister in the cabinet of the north Indian state of Haryana to becoming the Member of Parliament for seven times, she did everything to be known as the Iron Lady.
On February 19, 2019, Swaraj received the prestigious Grand Cross of Order of Civil Merit that was conferred by the Government of Spain in recognition of India's support in evacuating its citizens from Nepal during the massive earthquake of 2015.
She earned great admiration for her responsiveness and compassion during her years in the office. During her tenure as External Affairs Minister, she often directly responded to Indians overseas in need of diplomatic response.
It was her strong, fearless and fine foreign policy and administrative ability that made her win the common people’s heart and the title of ‘Iron Lady’.
