SOS from Yemen to medical aid for Pakistani child: When Sushma Swaraj came to the rescue

Here are some notable instances where Swaraj used the microblogging platform to provide aid to people:

With Sushma Swaraj’s help, Pakistani infant arrives in India for treatment

Swaraj made sure she was available to help people in need of medical treatment, even if ties between India and Pakistan weren’t very cordial. She won hearts online across the border after helping four-month-old Pakistani infant, Rohaan, who was in need of urgent medical attention for a heart ailment.

The minister, responding to Rohaan’s father Kanwal Saadik’s appeal for help, granted a medical visa to the child despite restrictions on the same.

No. The child will not suffer. Pls contact Indian High Commission in Pakistan. We will give the medical visa. pic.twitter.com/4ADWkFV6Ht https://t.co/OLVO3OiYMB

— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) May 31, 2017

After her intervention, Indian Embassy in Pakistan helped the man to reach India for treatment and within a fortnight, the child was treated at Jaypee Hospital in Noida. Expressing gratitude to Swaraj, ANI quoted Saadik as saying: “I appreciate EAM Sushma Swaraj, she helped me a lot.”

Rohaan – Keep smiling. pic.twitter.com/Ht77RXtdAi

— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 21, 2017

Swaraj’s response to a Pakistani girl worried about returning home 

Amid tensions that gripped India and Pakistan after the Uri attack and surgical strikes, a delegation of 20 students from Pakistan who had arrived in Chandigarh for the 11th Global Youth Peace Festival was anxious about their safe return.

Swaraj—who had torn into Pakistan in a speech at the United Nations General Assembly—in her response to the girl showed the bitterness between the two nations didn’t need to come in the way of humanitarian action. “Aliya – I was concerned about your well being kyonki betiyan to sabki sanjhi hoti hain” (I was concerned about your well being because one’s daughter is everyone’s daughter).

Aliya – I was concerned about your well being kyonki betiyan to sabki sanjhi hoti hain. https://t.co/9QyeMQfRwy

— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) October 3, 2016

When she helped a Jodhpur man tie the knot with his fiancée from Karachi

When a young man appealed to Swaraj after his to-be-bride and family faced troubles in getting visas, the minister intervened and helped him. Naresh Tewani from Jodhpur had been engaged to Priya Bachchani from Karachi for three years. The couple was eager to tie the knot in India, but the chances seemed bleak. With time running out, Tewani sought Swaraj’s help and said she was his last hope.

The minister assured help online and kept her promise. The bride and family arrived in India in time for the wedding. Many said it was the best wedding present ever.

@SushmaSwaraj thank you vry much mam…really grateful for showing concern abt her family visa issue. https://t.co/GDdw9GbwVY

— Naresh Tewani (@TewaniNaresh) October 7, 2016

Swaraj aids a widowed mother and her baby to return from the US 

The external affairs minister had helped a widowed mother and her newborn baby when it came to health insurance and getting the OCI (Overseas Citizenship of India) card for the child.

The woman’s family posted a letter addressed to Swaraj on Twitter, in which they wrote about the problems the mother was facing. Her family requested the government to grant a passport and OCI card to the newborn, so that the mother and children could return to India at the earliest. Not surprisingly, the minister came through.

#SOS Please help Mrs Deepika Pandey who is in USA .Details enclosed @MEAIndia @SushmaSwaraj @CMOfficeUP pic.twitter.com/DzWytjdPMv

— Anil Tiwari (@Interceptors) November 8, 2016

Swaraj gets embassy to open on holiday for man 

One Twitter user, Sarita Takru, had reached out to Swaraj to inform her that she had lost her husband. The distraught woman added that her only son, who was to perform his father’s last rites, was in the United States but wasn’t able to get a visa because the embassy was closed.

Swaraj immediately swung into action and made sure the embassy worked opened to provide the man with a visa.

Our Embassy in US is closed for Vijaya Dashmi and Moharram. I have sent a message. We will open the Embassy and give visa to your son. https://t.co/W5may5dy0H

— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) October 11, 2016

When she rescued an officer, wife stuck in Yemen

When the chief officer of an Indian crude oil tanker named ‘Jag Prabha’ was stranded in Yemen’s Aden, he tweeted an SOS to the minister. She ensured he received help, but also reprimanded him for disregarding an advisory.

You know the situation in Yemen. You acted contrary to our advice. You want more people to land in your situation ? @AXssProhibited

— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) February 22, 2017

Please rescue Indian nationals from this ship in Aden (Yemen). https://t.co/UqI0xiLCod

— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) February 22, 2017

Swaraj helps woman mugged in Tanzania despite no request

Charanya Kannan, a woman from Chennai who was studying at the Harvard Business School, had a very bad experience when she visited Tanzania for a course on public-private partnerships. The woman, who was there for two weeks with 39 others, was mugged by a biker in her second week in Dar Es Salaam, and lost her passport, phones, cash and credit cards.

Initially, she sought the assistance of an official at Indian Embassy in Tanzania, who told her nothing could be done. She shared the entire experience on a blog and Swaraj read it. The minister asked the woman to name the officer at the Indian High Commission, who had refused to help her.

Charanya Kannan – I have carefully gone through your write up. https://t.co/AgUqLiXaXr /1

— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) February 1, 2017

Just give me the name of this Officer in Indian High Commission in Tanzania. /2

— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) February 1, 2017

When she came to the rescue ​​of 29 workers held captive in Saudi Arabia​

Swaraj came to the rescue of 29 Telangana workers after she got an SOS tweet from the state’s IT and NRI affairs minister K Taraka Rama Rao about them being held captive. Rao wrote to Swaraj seeking the repatriation of the workers.

The minister directed the embassy to act on it and ensure the workers reached home safely.

Yes Ma’am we r already working on it .. @ajxtopcop

— India in SaudiArabia (@IndianEmbRiyadh) March 21, 2017

Swaraj responds to SOS from Yemen, welcomes baby

When Indians stranded in war-torn Yemen took to social media to seek help, Swaraj rose to the occasion and assured everyone that they would rescued promptly. India airlifted its nationals from strife-torn Yemen after getting permission from authorities to fly from Sana’a.

When a Yemeni woman married to an Indian urged the minister to rescue her 8-month-old baby, she replied saying they will be evacuated and brought back to India. She then welcome the mother and child back home:

Welcome home baby and @SabahShawesh

— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) April 5, 2015

Sushma Swaraj helps a couple get passports for differently-abled daughters

When a couple – Rallapalli Rama Subba Rao and Subbalakshmi – from Nellore in Andhra Pradesh launched an online petition talking about the difficulty their polio-afflicted daughters faced in appearing at the passport office, Swaraj responded.

Swaraj ensured the two girls didn’t have to go anywhere and their passports were delivered to their home.

Your daughters do not have to go anywhere. The Passports will reach your house today. https://t.co/5qI4f0wwSV

— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) January 24, 2017