History is inscribed on the MemorialBSF Barmer DIG Gurupal Singh salutes the martyrs.Divisional Railway Manager of Jodhpur DivisionGeetika Pandey offers a floral tribute. (Photos: Courtesy NWR PR office in Jodhpur)
Dr. Yash Goyal
JAIPUR (TIP): India’s first Railway Martyrs’ Memorial dedicated to 17 rail employees who had lost lives in the Indo-Pak war in 1965 was set up at Gadra Road Station in Barmer district on January 19. This sounds surprising that a martyrs’ memorial for railway employees who sacrificed their lives has come up now along the Indo-Pak border in Rajasthan.Google reveals: “The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 was a culmination of skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between Pakistan and India. The conflict began following Pakistan’s Operation Gibraltar, which was designed to infiltrate forces into Jammu and Kashmir to precipitate an insurgency against Indian rule. India had the upper hand over Pakistan when the ceasefire was declared. Although the two countries fought to a standoff, the conflict is seen as a strategic and political defeat for Pakistan, as it had neither succeeded in fomenting insurrection in Kashmir nor had it been able to gain meaningful support at an international level”. After 55 years, a new generation people might not be knowing that in the neighboring countries’ war Pakistani army had bombarded the Bhartiya railway track in Barmer district where its employees were transporting ‘Rasad” (food and other supplies) to defense forces fighting the war on land in air. In twice attack of air bomb shelling on moving train and on the track by Pakistani army during the war, 12 employees martyred in first hostile attack and 5 in the second one. All the deceased were very young employees and left behind their family members including old age parents and children. Later the Railway has given jobs to their kins on compassionate ground, Gopal Sharma, North-Western Railway PR Officer, told TIP while sharing the war memories. Every year on September 9, scores of villagers, family members of the martyred and railway employees’ union used to observe a ‘shaheed diwas’ at the two sites, 1 to 2 km away from Gadra Road Railway station. They had to reach there by their own means of transportation and facing hard time. Now NWR has built the granite made memorial with 17 names inscribed on it as “Amar Jawan, Amar Shaheed” just outside the Gadra Road Station.
On January 19, NWR General Manager Anand Prakash along with BSF Barmer DIG Gurupal Singh and DRM-Jodhpur Geetika Pandey dedicated the first memorial of its kind to the nation by placing flower wreaths. The 142nd Battalion of BSF gave the guard of honor. GM Prakash also felicitated the family members of martyred railway personnel at a simple function there. BSF DIG hailed the contribution and cooperation of Railway employees and India’s victory terming it a historic one. (EOM)
(Dr. Yash Goyal is Foreign Correspondent, The Indian Panorama, based in Jaipur, Rajasthan. He can be reached at 91 94140 43334 / 0141 2942777)
Sushma Swaraj (Sharma before her marriage to Swaraj Kaushal) was born on 14 February 1952 at Ambala Cantt, Haryana to Hardev Sharma and Shrimati Laxmi Devi. Her father was a prominent Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh member. Her parents hailed from the Dharampura area of Lahore, Pakistan.
Sushma was educated at Sanatan Dharma College in Ambala Cantonment and earned a bachelor’s degree with majors in Sanskrit and Political Science. She studied law at Panjab University, Chandigarh.
She was a lawyer by profession. A senior leader of Bharatiya Janata Party, Swaraj served as the Minister of External Affairs of India in the first Narendra Modi government (2014–2019). She was the second woman to hold the office, after Indira Gandhi. She was elected seven times as a Member of Parliament and three times as a Member of the Legislative Assembly. At the age of 25 in 1977, she became the youngest cabinet minister of Indian state of Haryana. She also served as 5th Chief Minister of Delhi for a short duration in 1998.
Swaraj was hailed as India’s “best-loved politician” by the US daily Wall Street Journal . In view of her failing health , she decided not to contest the 2019 Indian general election. She was not much seen in public. On August 6, 2019 she succumbed to a cardiac arrest, according to the doctors at the AIIMS , New Delhi.
The world grieved over her loss, as we do at The Indian Panorama. We grieve for her, the unreturning friend and benefactor.
We received condolences from many people in India and abroad. In the short space available with us, we will carry excerpts from the condolences offered by them.
A Diplomat Remembers Sushma Ji
Aformer diplomat Asoke Kumar Mukerji was the Permanent Representative of India to the UN when Sushma Swaraj visited the United Nations for the first time as External Affairs Minister. He said in his condolence posted on Facebook
“Deeply saddened by the untimely demise of Smt. Sushma Swaraj-ji, who was External Affairs Minister of India when I was finishing my innings in the Indian Foreign Service as Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations in New York. Her enthusiasm was infectious, and her attention to detail was astounding. Despite the challenging schedule that she committed herself to during her visits to the United Nations, she constantly radiated positive energy.
The symbol of Indian mother, sister, daughter, bahu-the best face of an Indian Sushma Ji with UNSG Ban Ki-Moon, whose “India-connections” extended from his personal to his professional life Photo / Courtesy Asoke Mukerji
I first received her as External Affairs Minister in New York on 24 September 2014, when she arrived just before our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi-ji’s first historic visit. It was her sagacity and support that ensured we were able to implement the Prime Minister’s idea for the UN General Assembly to declare June 21 every year as the International Day of Yoga in record time and with a record number of co-sponsoring countries. She participated in the First International Yoga Day in New York in 2015. She placed the UN’s decision on the International Yoga Day in the context of India’s ability to set the global agenda at the last public function I participated in with her in New Delhi in March this year. The video of her remarks may be seen at
Her interest in the Holy Grail of India’s multilateral diplomacy, revolving around our efforts to reform the UN Security Council, was deep and focused, as was her interest in the welfare and effectiveness of the thousands of Indian soldiers serving in UN Peace Operations.
She saw both as integral to India’s core national interests. She built a special rapport with President of the General Assembly Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa of Uganda to push for tabling a text to reform the Security Council, as well as to implement the UN General Assembly’s decision to construct a Permanent Memorial Wall to UN Peacekeepers on the grounds of the UN Headquarters in New York.
The last time Ambassador Mukerji met Sushma-ji was at a function at the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library in March 2019, when she spoke extempore on the Modi Government’s Foreign Policy. From left to right: Dr Anirban Ganguly, Director of the SPMRF, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj-ji, Ambassador Amar Sinha and Shri Vijay Chauthaiwale, In Charge of BJP’s Foreign Affairs Department. Photo / Courtesy Asoke Mukerji
She leaves behind many memories. May God give her departed soul everlasting peace. Om Shanti!
A New Yorker Misses his Sister
New York based BJP activist Jagdish Sewhani who knew Sushma ji for a long time , sent this condolence message on the passing away of Sushma ji.
“Deeply saddened and Shocked at the sudden passing away of Sushma Swaraj ji, one of the tallest political leaders of her generation who had given more than four decades of public service.
Sushmaji had this amazing quality of connecting with People . She was people’s Minister and most loved politician, respected across the Party lines.
She was great orator and great administrator.
At personal level she was like a sister to me and always used to call me Bhai.”
OFBJP-USA Pays Rich Tribute to Smt. Sushma Swaraj
“Overseas Friends of BJP (OFBJP) – USA is shocked and deeply saddened to learn about the sudden demise of Smt. Sushma Swaraj. It is indeed a huge loss to the nation as 1.3 billion people remember her yeomen service to the country. Her unmatched oratory skills and her human touch always mesmerized the people across all walks of life.
Born into RSS family, Sushma Didi as she was fondly called had started her political journey with ABVP and during this journey, she broke many glass ceilings. She became the youngest cabinet minister in Haryana at the age of 25 and was the first woman Chief Minister of Delhi. She accomplished many firsts during her political career, including first full-time Foreign Minister. She was elected to the parliament for seven times. While she was an opposition leader, she won the accolades from both friends and foes. She had friends across the aisle and from all ideologies which speak volumes about her human interactions and outreach.
She was a remarkable leader who devoted her life to the public service and was instrumental in affecting process changes in the Indian consulates across the globe aimed to help NRIs and India diaspora. She was just Twitter away in helping the distressed people. Her quick wit and forever helping hand made her extremely popular in the community of Indian Diaspora.”
GOPIO Recall their Association with Sushma Ji
GOPIO Delegation with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in New York, Sept. 23, 2018
Global Organization of People of Indian Origin conveys its heartfelt condolences in passing away of Smt. Sushma Swaraj, who served as External Affair Minister with Prime Minister Modi from 2014 to 2019. As minister looking after the Overseas Indian Affairs, GOPIO have had a close working relation and cooperation on many of the NRI and PIO issues as well as on new initiatives from her ministry.
We have been working with Sushmaji since she has been the leader of BJP in the Rajya Sabha.
In her passing away, we will miss a Statesman as well as a sincere and able political leader.
GOPIO International conveys its heartfelt condolences. May her soul rest in peace.
AAPI Mourns the demise of Sushma Ji
During the many years of public service to the nation, Ms. Sushma Swaraj brought her innate grace and charm into her work. She made her mark in her own way – connecting with the diaspora far and wide and reaching out to help them. She would respond to every appeal for assistance, and make sure the Indian missions responded to the requests. In this way she gave the human touch to the Ministry of External Affairs and won millions of admirers across the world.
(TIP Bureau)
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