SUSHMA SWARAJ (1952–2019)
Sushma Swaraj was one of India's most respected and beloved political leaders, remembered for her eloquence, empathy, and statesmanship. Born in 1952 in Ambala, Haryana, she pursued a degree in law from Panjab University, Chandigarh, where she was actively involved in student politics through the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). She later married lawyer Swaraj Kaushal, adopting his surname in public life.
At the young age of 25, she entered the Haryana Legislative Assembly and became the youngest Cabinet Minister in India at the time 1977. In 1998, she broke another glass ceiling by becoming the first woman Chief Minister of Delhi, albeit for a brief tenure.
Over the course of her distinguished political journey, Sushma Swaraj held numerous key portfolios under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, including Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Health & Family Welfare, and Parliamentary Affairs 1998-2004. A consummate parliamentarian, she served seven terms in both Houses of Parliament and was the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha from 2009 to 2014.
Her appointment as Minister of External Affairs in 2014 under Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked a transformative moment in Indian diplomacy. As India’s second woman to hold this office (after Indira Gandhi), she redefined citizen-centric foreign policy through the innovative use of social media. Often described as "the people’s foreign minister," she became globally renowned for her prompt and compassionate response to Indians in distress abroad. The Wall Street Journal lauded her as "India’s best-loved politician." Her oft-quoted line, "I do not sleep, and I do not let Indian envoys
sleep," reflected her commitment to serving every Indian citizen, regardless of location.
One of her most notable political contests was the 1999 Lok Sabha election from Bellary, Karnataka, where she challenged Congress leader Sonia Gandhi. Though she lost narrowly, her campaign elevated her national stature.
In 2016, she underwent a kidney transplant and subsequently stepped back from active electoral politics, choosing not to contest the 2019 general elections due to health concerns. Tragically, she passed away on 6 August 2019 in New Delhi following a cardiac arrest, aged 67. Her final tweet expressed her lifelong desire fulfilled: "I was waiting to see this day in my lifetime"—a reference to the revocation of Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir.
She was accorded full state honours at her cremation at Lodhi Road Crematorium, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Ram Nath Kovind, and other dignitaries paying tribute. Her daughter, Bansuri Swaraj, continues the family’s political legacy, having been elected to the 18th Lok Sabha in 2024.
In recognition of her parliamentary excellence, Sushma Swaraj was awarded the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award in 2007. Posthumously, she received the Padma Vibhushan in 2020, India’s second-highest civilian honour. As a lasting tribute, the Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra and the Foreign Service Institute in New Delhi were renamed the Sushma Swaraj Bhawan and the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service, respectively.
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