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# India

There is no place like ‘Indian occupied Kashmir’, Sushma Swaraj tells Kashmiri student who sought help

Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj receives a deluge of requests for assistance from Indians in foreign countries on Twitter.

SNS | New Delhi | May 10, 2018 1:21 pm

There is no place like ‘Indian occupied Kashmir’, Sushma Swaraj tells Kashmiri student who sought help

(Photo: Twitter/@MEAIndia/@SushmaSwaraj)

Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj receives a deluge of requests for assistance from Indians in foreign countries on Twitter. From medical aid to visa concerns, the minister is known for her deft handling of all the issues raised by Indians in need.

In fact, due to her prompt response and redressal of the problems connected to the calls for help, Swaraj is hailed by many as one of the most efficient ministers in the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Thursday was any like other day in office for the EAM. She received a request from an individual who sought Swaraj’s help for the issuance of a new passport as his original passport had got damaged.

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The individual, Sheikh Ateeq, identified himself as a medical student in the Philippines and urgently sought Swaraj’s help in obtaining a new passport because he wanted to come back home to India as his health was deteriorating and he was short of money.

In two tweets, Ateeq wrote:

“Dear ma’am @SushmaSwaraj I greatly need your help. Is there anything u can do to rush the process of my passport as it is damaged. I need to get back to my home, India. My health is deteriorating and I cannot shoulder the expenses anymore as I’m student.”

“@SushmaSwaraj I m from J&K doing medicine course here in philippines  my passport got damaged i applied for new one 1 month ago i request u plz help me to get it as i literally need to go home for medical check up.”

 

Twitter account of Kashmiri man
(Photo: Screenshot/Twitter)

 

As was expected, the EAM responded promptly. But this time she took note of the individual’s Twitter bio.

“If you are from J&K state, we will definitely help you. But your profile says you are from ‘Indian occupied Kashmir’. There is no place like that. @indembmanila,” she wrote while tagging the official Twitter handle of the Indian embassy in Manila.

 

At the time of writing, Swaraj’s tweet had been liked 4.4K times and retweeted 2.4K times.

It appears that Ateeq changed his bio after Swaraj’s tweet. About an hour later, Swaraj posted another tweet, this time instructing the Indian ambassador, Jaideep Mazumdar, in the Philippines to assist the “Indian national”.

“1. @SAteEQ019 – I am happy you have corrected the profile. 2. Jaideep – He is an Indian national from J&K. Pls help him. @indembmanila,” read her tweet.

 

Hundreds reacted to Swaraj’s tweets. While some claimed that the man will “change his bio” once the government helps him, others said India’s help will make him “believe in India” and its tradition of benevolence.

 

It may be mentioned that Ateeq’s Twitter account was unavailable at the time of writing this report.

Just six days ago, on 4 May, Swaraj had asked India’s Consul General in Dubai, Vipul, to urgently locate an Indian national Irfan Zargar from Srinagar after a social activist from J-K informed her of his disappearance.

“Irfan Zargar  S/O Late Bashir Ahmad Zargar  R/O Channa Mohalla Chattabal Srinagar who was Working in a Private company in Dubai is Missing from Last 5 Days . Requesting for help in locating him,” wrote Guftar Ahmed while tagging the EAM, J-K CM Mehbooba Mufti and other top officials.

“Vipul : Irfan Ahmad Zargar is an Indian national from J&K state. Please spare no efforts to locate him,” responded Swaraj.

 

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