The demise of former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has left a huge void in Indian politics.
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The untimely demise of Sushma Swaraj has caused immense damage to Indian politics. He has influenced the masses for nearly four decades in various guises: popular leader, brilliant parliamentarian, influential orator, and benevolent politician. During this time, he contested a total of 11 direct elections from four states. In fact, he is one of the few contemporary leaders to have a popular base. Sushmaji held several ministerial posts in the cabinet headed by both Prime Minister Vajpayee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But the one in which he left his mark was the Ministry of External Affairs!
In Modi's first cabinet formed in 2014, Sushmaji was given the responsibility of the External Affairs Department. He did it with Shitafi; Moreover, he reached the highest peak of popularity. She became the first woman foreign minister of independent India. Earlier, when Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister, she had kept the External Affairs Ministry under her control for some time. However, Sushmaji is the first to complete a five-year term by accepting an independent post!
Foreign affairs is a very important and sensitive account for any country in the world; And that is why the Prime Minister has a direct influence on the policy making in this department. Also, since many foreign visits and visits are made by the Prime Minister himself, the independent functioning of the Minister of External Affairs is automatically limited.
In India too, for the last several decades, there has been a tendency for the Prime Minister to formulate a policy and for the Foreign Minister to implement it only. But despite this, Sushmaji's distinctive style, reassuring body language, willingness to work hard, and the winning attitude he got from politics, made him his own place. In this system, Sushmaji's equation with Prime Minister Modi is very important.
Under Modi's leadership, India's foreign policy was formulated, and it was Sushmaji and his colleagues' responsibility to bring it about. Starting V. K. Singh, Minister of External Affairs for the State and m. J. Akbar, and the then Foreign Secretary S. He was greatly assisted by S. Jaishankar.
Modi had overtaken Sushmaji in terms of foreign tours. In the last five years, Modi has made 93, while Sushma has made a total of 79 tours. However, the entire background of all Modi's international visits should be given to Sushma. In fact, Sushma often visits the country herself in preparation for the Prime Minister's most important visit, and returns with a complete outline of Modi's visit and documents to be signed, so that the main visit goes smoothly.
Sushma Swaraj accepted the post of External Affairs Minister of India at a very strategic juncture. In the last few years, the global geopolitical situation has changed, which has also changed the importance and role of India in the international arena.
The last five years have also seen a huge increase in the country's foreign affairs, and diversification. Our bilateral relations with all countries, large and small, continued to improve; At the same time, India became a member of many multinational organizations. As responsibilities increased, so did many challenges. In such a scenario, it was not easy to represent India at the international level, which Sushmaji did to a large extent.
Speaking at a press conference earlier, Sushmaji had mentioned three important aspects of his diplomacy, active, strong and sensitive. Based on these aspects, he directed foreign affairs in the changing global situation. It would be appropriate to review his tenure on the basis of these three points.
The first issue is activism. Sushmaji herself was available for the Foreign Ministry literally 24 hours a day. He also demanded that Indian embassies in other countries should be open to help the locals and Indians. He used to hold regular joint meetings of Indian ambassadors from various countries in different regions to review the work assigned earlier and plan for the future. This rule also applied to Delhi-based officials. He imposed the same strict discipline on the passport offices in India to make the passport acquisition process easier for the citizens.
Sushmaji's availability was not only physical, but also on social media. He was in regular contact with the public through his own Twitter account. The same account was later converted into the 24 * 7 helpline of the Ministry of External Affairs. As a result, in case of loss of someone's passport, difficulties while traveling abroad, or someone being caught in a natural calamity, he kept the help of Indian embassies just a tweet away. That's why people jokingly started calling him 'Twitter Minister'. But in this way, thousands of needy people got immediate help, which is important.
Another aspect of Sushmaji's dealings is his strength. Then they would be standing in the UN General Assembly and throwing stones at Pakistan; The call from the platform of the Organization of Islamic Countries is "We must end terrorism and move towards world peace"; Whether it was the political battle in the Doklam conflict with China, he always protected India's national and strategic interests through his dealings. The real test of his diplomacy came after the Pulwama attack. India will always be indebted to him for the restraint, perseverance and determination on which he turned the world opinion in his favor.
The third aspect of his personality is sensitivity. Swaraj made the Ministry of External Affairs more popular. Due to her gentle nature, she became the mother of many Indians living outside India. Sushmaji's allegiance was the same on all occasions, from the reunion of a divorced couple in Italy to the honeymoon, to the release of thousands of Indians stranded in war-torn Yemen or Libya. Sushma's efforts saved the life of 27-year-old Mookbadhir Gita, who was trapped in Pakistan for 15 years, 46 Christian nuns who were captured by ISIS in Iraq, and Hamid Ansari, who was imprisoned by Pakistan.
Sushmaji's helping hand was not only for Indians, but also for many foreigners. He granted medical visas to many patients in Pakistan on the basis of a single tweet, and from a humanitarian point of view, which has saved many lives.
He also rescued 71 Spanish nationals trapped in Nepal during the earthquake. In return, the Spanish government honored him with the prestigious Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit. Later in 2017, the American magazine Wall Street Journal praised Sushmaji as 'the most beloved politician in the world's largest democracy'.
There is very little to write about Sushmaji's pragmatism. But going beyond all this, the image he bestowed on the foreign minister was also significant. Sushmita became the epitome of a capable, capable Indian feminist community for people outside the country, with the features of a sari, a forehead, a kumkum, a slow yet graceful gait, and a clear and pure Hindi voice. Also, on the occasion of International Yoga Day, 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, spread of Hindi language, expansion of Indian cultural centers, he spread Indian culture in the world. We have seen many photos of the world's biggest, tallest heads of state, then everyone from Obama to Putin, bowing to Sushma with respect and love. It doubles the pride and respect for Sushmaji.
Sushmaji resigned from the ministry in 2019 due to health problems, and former foreign secretary S.K. Jaishankar was made the External Affairs Minister. Anyway, she was constantly available in the role of an experienced guide. To move forward on the path of foreign affairs they have pursued; And the continued expansion of Indian national interests through hard work will be a true tribute to him.
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