Thiruvananthapuram: It was Sushma Swaraj's strong intervention, minute-to-minute monitoring of the situation and direct connect with the state government that helped rescue 46 Malayalee nurses from the captivity of ISIS militants in Iraq.
Owing to heavy fighting between rival militia, Sushma had personally given directions to Indian Embassy to explore all possibilities for the safest option for evacuation. As the nurses arrived home in special flight they heaped praises on Sushma thanking her profusely for saving their lives.
Former chief minister Oommen Chandy who paid homage to Sushma Swaraj in Delhi on Wednesday recalled her contribution. He said the late leader was extremely helpful during the nurses crisis.
"I made a call to her past midnight to inform that the Air India flight which had been sent to pick the nurses could not land in Iraq. She told me not to worry and assured that everything would go as planned," he said.
After 15 minutes Sushma called back and said the permission for the aircraft to land at the airport had been granted. It was due to her timely intervention that the nurses could be evacuated safety.
The nurses working at a hospital in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit were stuck after ISIS militants carried out an attack in that area in June 2014.
The authorities had taken up the matter with Gulf countries and sought the help of well wishers from across the world to secure their release.
The nurses were finally taken by road, covering a distance of more than 70 km, to Erbil International airport from where they were flown back.
A Keralite offered to donate kidney to Sushma
A Keralite was among those who volunteered to donate their kidneys to Sushma Swaraj when she developed kidney complaints in 2016. He is Malappuram-native Dr. C. A. Jayaprakas, principal scientist (entomology) and head division of crop protection at CTCRI here.
When news broke of her illness, several people from across the country offered to donate their kidneys. Jayaprakas, 55, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing his willingness.
"I was also in the long queue of volunteers. I received an acknowledgement from the Prime Minister's Office too. But later Swaraj got the organ from a living unrelated donor," said Jayaprakas.
