Keeping a memory alive

Nearly two months on, Bansuri gathered herself and decided to do what her mother had, before her death promised Harish Salve

There were many promises that Sushma Swaraj’s daughter, Bansuri had to fulfil after destiny’s cruel blow: snatching a mother from her only child.  Bansuri was Sushma’s only child and one who she doted upon. She has once advised a junior colleague that she should keep  one day in a week to bond with her child: a lesson the colleague remembered and repeated to several others after Sushma Swaraj’s sudden  and untimely death: “She taught me to give quality time to my children; from her I learnt that one day a week must be reserved for children: not spared but reserved” she recalled.

Bansuri was Sushma’s life line and perhaps vice versa. It was apparent during the funeral and the prayer meeting: on both occasions and understandably so Bansuri could not check her tears. Her mother, she perhaps told herself,  would never have cried in public. Bansuri tried her best to be stoic and more often than not succeeded. For a young girl turned lawyer the loss of a parent  was understandably unbearable but Bansuri went about doing what was expected of her with as much dignity as she could.

Nearly two months on, Bansuri gathered herself and decided to do what her mother had, before her death promised Harish Salve.

Salve, it may be recalled, was representing India at the International Court of Justice in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case. Jadhav is held in custody  by the Pakistan Government on charges of espionage. In the International Court of Justice it was Salve who had argued for Jadhav.

An expensive lawyer, senior advocate Harish Salve had charged only Re 1 as his fee  against the Rs 30 lakh a day that he is reported to normally charge.  

Salve recalled how Sushma Swaraj had led India’s diplomatic efforts from the front to save Kulbhushan Jadhav:  

“There was not a single paper filed in the case which she didn’t see herself. She used to inspect everything and gave valuable suggestions. She used to go personally to the prime minister to ensure everything was cleared,” Salve had said.

Recalling an "emotional conversation" with Swaraj, the former solicitor general had told the media:  “I spoke to her…  It was a very emotional conversation…. She said, ‘you have to come and meet me. I have to give you your one rupee for the case which you won’. I said, ‘of course, I have to come collect that precious fee’. She said, ‘come and meet me tomorrow at 6 o’clock’,” Salve said.

Neither could Swaraj give him the rupee neither could Salve collect his fee. Death stepped in and Swaraj’s promise remained one that she could not keep.

For Salve it was perhaps a debt that he would treasure, but Swaraj’s family was determined to fulfil all her wishes and keep the promises she had made. Consequently, Swaraj’s daughter took it upon herself to complete her mother’s unfulfilled task. She called on Salve and presented a one rupee coin on behalf of her mother for the Jadhav’s case.

It was both a heart-warming and heart wrenching moment for Salve and Bansuri respectively. Visibly moved, Bansuri’s father and Sushma’s husband Swaraj Kaushal tweeted:

"Your daughter Bansuri has fulfilled your last wish today. She has presented Rs. 1 fee to Harish Salve in Kulbhushan Jadhav's case, which you had left."

 Bansuri also took it upon herself to fulfil yet another of her mother’s wish: she also performed her last rites .She was distraught but determined to do what her mother wished: As part of the rituals, she carried a ‘matka’ filled with water and went around the platform on the floor where her dead mother lay before breaking the earthen pitcher by smashing it on the ground. Her father lent a hand and put his arm around  his sobbing daughter as she conducted the last rites including lighting the pyre: another of Sushma’s wish that Bansuri fulfilled.  

That part, Bansuri was also following her mother’s footsteps. By Kaushal’s own account, Sushma had lit her father in law’s pyre. According to him, “as per my father's wish, she lit my father's pyre” he had once said.

Sushma had then defied custom as Bansuri did now: but then both are women of substance and unlikely to follow a norm or walk the dotted line. In the Hindu tradition, it is customary for sons or husbands or men of the family to perform the last rites.   

Bansuri however was not the first child to light a parent’s pyre. Atal Behari Vajpayee’s foster daughter Namita did too when the late Prime Minister died.

While on families there is yet another that is grappling with grief: finding it difficult to come to terms with Destiny’s cruel blow: former minister Arun Jaitley’s.

Earlier this week  Jaitley's wife Sangeeta  wrote to the Rajya Sabha Chairman  M Venkaiah Naidu to decline the pension due to his family. In an attempt to keep his spirit alive, Sangeeta did what Arun, had he been alive, would have done. During his life time Arun helped the needy: if on his birthday he would feed the poor, all through his life he went that extra mile to settle his staff and educate their children like he did his own.

After his death Sangeeta decided to do what her husband would have liked done: give away his money to those who needed it more than him.

Therefore she desired that the pension due to her be given to the “needy Rajya Sabha staff”. Jaitley was a member of the Rajya Sabha.

In a letter that she wrote to Naidu and also marked to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sangeeta Jaitley cited the former FM's philanthropic past to politely decline the pension due and offer it to Class IV Rajya Sabha staff: "Without, by any means, intending to undermine the noble sentiment associated with the offer of pension entitled to the spouse of a late MP, a cause which Arun himself championed, I would humbly request the hon'ble Parliament to deploy this pension amount towards the welfare of the most needy segment of the institution, which Arun served for almost two decades; the Class IV employees of the Rajya Sabha. I am sure, Arun, too, would have wished the same”, she wrote.

As per the Salary and Allowances of Members of Parliament Act, a former MP is entitled to a minimum pension of Rs 20,000 per month and an additional pension of Rs 1,500 for every year served as member of either house for a period of more than five years. That would have entitled Jaitley for at least Rs 50,000 per month. The family is also entitled to approximately Rs 25,000 per month or Rs 3 lakh per annum as family pension to spouse or dependent of a deceased member/ex-MP, which amounts to 50 per cent of the pension. Both Bansuri and Sangeeta in their own way have tried to do what Sushma and Arun respectively would have done and through their actions tried to keep memories alive.

The writer is a senior Indian journalist, political commentator and columnist of The Independent. She can be reached at: ([email protected])

 

Keeping a memory alive

Nearly two months on, Bansuri gathered herself and decided to do what her mother had, before her death promised Harish Salve

There were many promises that Sushma Swarajs daughter, Bansuri had to fulfil after destinys cruel blow: snatching a mother from her only child. Bansuri was Sushmas only child and one who she doted upon. She has once advised a junior colleague that she should keep one day in a week to bond with her child: a lesson the colleague remembered and repeated to several others after Sushma Swarajs sudden and untimely death: She taught me to give quality time to my children; from her I learnt that one day a week must be reserved for children: not spared but reserved she recalled. Bansuri was Sushmas life line and perhaps vice versa. It was apparent during the funeral and the prayer meeting: on both occasions and understandably so Bansuri could not check her tears. Her mother, she perhaps told herself, would never have cried in public. Bansuri tried her best to be stoic and more often than not succeeded. For a young girl turned lawyer the loss of a parent was understandably unbearable but Bansuri went about doing what was expected of her with as much dignity as she could. Nearly two months on, Bansuri gathered herself and decided to do what her mother had, before her death promised Harish Salve. Salve, it may be recalled, was representing India at the International Court of Justice in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case. Jadhav is held in custody by the Pakistan Government on charges of espionage. In the International Court of Justice it was Salve who had argued for Jadhav. An expensive lawyer, senior advocate Harish Salve had charged only Re 1 as his fee against the Rs 30 lakh a day that he is reported to normally charge. Salve recalled how Sushma Swaraj had led Indias diplomatic efforts from the front to save Kulbhushan Jadhav: There was not a single paper filed in the case which she didnt see herself. She used to inspect everything and gave valuable suggestions. She used to go personally to the prime minister to ensure everything was cleared, Salve had said. Recalling an emotional conversation with Swaraj, the former solicitor general had told the media: I spoke to her It was a very emotional conversation. She said, you have to come and meet me. I have to give you your one rupee for the case which you won. I said, of course, I have to come collect that precious fee. She said, come and meet me tomorrow at 6 oclock, Salve said. Neither could Swaraj give him the rupee neither could Salve collect his fee. Death stepped in and Swarajs promise remained one that she could not keep. For Salve it was perhaps a debt that he would treasure, but Swarajs family was determined to fulfil all her wishes and keep the promises she had made. Consequently, Swarajs daughter took it upon herself to complete her mothers unfulfilled task. She called on Salve and presented a one rupee coin on behalf of her mother for the Jadhavs case. It was both a heart-warming and heart wrenching moment for Salve and Bansuri respectively. Visibly moved, Bansuris father and Sushmas husband Swaraj Kaushal tweeted: Your daughter Bansuri has fulfilled your last wish today. She has presented Rs. 1 fee to Harish Salve in Kulbhushan Jadhavs case, which you had left. Bansuri also took it upon herself to fulfil yet another of her mothers wish: she also performed her last rites .She was distraught but determined to do what her mother wished: As part of the rituals, she carried a matka filled with water and went around the platform on the floor where her dead mother lay before breaking the earthen pitcher by smashing it on the ground. Her father lent a hand and put his arm around his sobbing daughter as she conducted the last rites including lighting the pyre: another of Sushmas wish that Bansuri fulfilled. That part, Bansuri was also following her mothers footsteps. By Kaushals own account, Sushma had lit her father in laws pyre. According to him, as per my fathers wish, she lit my fathers pyre he had once said. Sushma had then defied custom as Bansuri did now: but then both are women of substance and unlikely to follow a norm or walk the dotted line. In the Hindu tradition, it is customary for sons or husbands or men of the family to perform the last rites. Bansuri however was not the first child to light a parents pyre. Atal Behari Vajpayees foster daughter Namita did too when the late Prime Minister died. While on families there is yet another that is grappling with grief: finding it difficult to come to terms with Destinys cruel blow: former minister Arun Jaitleys. Earlier this week Jaitleys wife Sangeeta wrote to the Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu to decline the pension due to his family. In an attempt to keep his spirit alive, Sangeeta did what Arun, had he been alive, would have done. During his life time Arun helped the needy: if on his birthday he would feed the poor, all through his life he went that extra mile to settle his staff and educate their children like he did his own. After his death Sangeeta decided to do what her husband would have liked done: give away his money to those who needed it more than him. Therefore she desired that the pension due to her be given to the needy Rajya Sabha staff. Jaitley was a member of the Rajya Sabha. In a letter that she wrote to Naidu and also marked to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sangeeta Jaitley cited the former FMs philanthropic past to politely decline the pension due and offer it to Class IV Rajya Sabha staff: Without, by any means, intending to undermine the noble sentiment associated with the offer of pension entitled to the spouse of a late MP, a cause which Arun himself championed, I would humbly request the honble Parliament to deploy this pension amount towards the welfare of the most needy segment of the institution, which Arun served for almost two decades; the Class IV employees of the Rajya Sabha. I am sure, Arun, too, would have wished the same, she wrote. As per the Salary and Allowances of Members of Parliament Act, a former MP is entitled to a minimum pension of Rs 20,000 per month and an additional pension of Rs 1,500 for every year served as member of either house for a period of more than five years. That would have entitled Jaitley for at least Rs 50,000 per month. The family is also entitled to approximately Rs 25,000 per month or Rs 3 lakh per annum as family pension to spouse or dependent of a deceased member/ex-MP, which amounts to 50 per cent of the pension. Both Bansuri and Sangeeta in their own way have tried to do what Sushma and Arun respectively would have done and through their actions tried to keep memories alive. The writer is a senior Indian journalist, political commentator and columnist of The Independent. She can be reached at: ([email protected])