Tears unstoppable in Shimla, 'Sushma ji'
Shimla: Tears have not stopped rolling from those eyes, which once spotted a bright young law student at Panjab university Sushma Sharma, later Sushma Swaraj in 1971-73.
Whether it's Kali Dass Batish, a former ABVP activist and student leader at Panjab university or Aruna Kapoor, a retired sessions' judge - one of her close class-mate in the law in Chandigarh, everyone looked heart-broken in the demise of a leader, who shared a strong social bonding, much above the heights she had achieved in the politics.
As Batish, and his entire family remained glued to TV on Wednesday watching minute-to-minute coverage, and rich tributes being paid to India's tallest leaders, Aruna Kapoor's husband Dr Harbans Kapoor, turned emotional repeatedly recollecting his close families ties with the former foreign minister.
"My wife and Sushma ji were prolific debaters of the college together. She was an extraordinary orator in Hindi and my wife Aruna used to team her-up in English. Travelling on cycle rickshaw together, and going around Chandigarh markets, are few good memories we shared," says Dr Kapoor, a cancer specialist.
Aruna Kapoor says there are so many fond memories about her in the college days and hostel life. "Once we went to Ferozepur for a debate on behalf of the college. All rival teams surrendered beforehand on seeing Sushma ji. She had earned a wide reputation as No 1 debater, and had been on a winning spree always," she recalls. "Once we were listening Hindi news bulletin on All India Radio (AIR) and news-reader was Sushma Sharma. She jumped-up telling all of us, look girls –one day you will hear this. "Yeh Akashwani hai, abb samachar Sushma Sharma se! We had a big laugh and wished her good luck too. But never knew she will gain remarkable popularity as such a popular leader of the Indian Nation." Batish, on the other hand, remembered how Sushma Swaraj once herself tweeted about him declaring that Kali Dass Batish inducted her into the ABVP 40 years back.
"I never knew she used to call me her mentor and this she had told to Narendra Modi ji (then BJP general secretary in Himachal Pradesh) and former Chief Ministers Shanta Kumar and Prem Kumar Dhumal. It's Modi ji who once shared this with me," Batish told the Millennium Post. Batish recalls having met her in Chandigarh, where she was doing her law and he (Batish) studying his Post-graduation, was a student leader. "I shared the stage with her in a debate. She won the first prize. Thereafter, we became very good friends and remained in touch for a long time," he recalls. Initially, she was not in the ABVP but gradually she got associated with the organisation. He recalls, "Once I went to Narnaul in Haryana for an ABVP event. She saw some posters about my visit. She made it a point to attend the event and met me also." Batish shared on his Facebook a Twitter post of Sushma Swaraj to fresh his memories.
In town, the BJP held a condolence meeting and paid floral tributes and remembered her connections with Shimla.
