Sushma Swaraj, Indian ex-Foreign Minister, passes away

Former External Affairs Minister and veteran politician Sushma Swaraj passed away after suffering a heart attack in the capital yesterday. She was 67. As a member in the first Narendra Modi cabinet, her humanitarian approach to dealing with issues of international relations, made her a fan favourite.

She took personal interest in resolving minor issues like issuance of visa to the needy and getting relief to Indians in distress. Ms Swaraj, who was the second woman to take charge of the foreign ministry after Indira Gandhi, successfully built an Indian human capital abroad. A hallmark of the Modi government has been its ability to fully utilise social media to reach out the youth, political experts say.

“Sushma Swaraj was the heart of the internet savvy Modi era of politics.” In a series of tweets, Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi gave glowing tributes to Swaraj, saying: “Sushma Ji was a prolific orator and outstanding Parliamentarian. “She was admired and revered across party lines. She was uncompromising when it came to matters of ideology and interests of the BJP, whose growth she immensely contributed to.”

Sushma Swaraj was instrumental in strengthening the excellent bilateral relations between India and Bahrain. She visited the Kingdom thrice and last year she was here to inaugurate the new Indian Embassy complex in Seef. Expressing his condolences over the death, Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid  bin Ahmed Al Khalifa tweeted yesterday: “Indian leader Sushma Swaraj who always called me ‘my brother’ is not with us anymore. Rest in peace ‘my dear sister’. India and Bahrain will miss you.”