External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday responded to tweets by several Indians abroad seeking help, signalling continuation of his predecessor SushmaSwaraj’s social media outreach in assisting people in distress.
Swaraj leaves a legacy of an easily-accessible ExternalAffairs Minister who helped the diaspora in distress through Twitter.
In a series of tweets, Jaishankar responded to calls forhelp by several Indians abroad, assuring them that Indian missions inrespective countries were trying to address their issues.
When one Mahalakshmi tweeted seeking help to her familymembers whose passports were lost in Italy during a trip, Jaishankar said,”Our Embassy in Rome/ Consul General in Munich will extend all assistance.Please be in touch with them @IndiainItaly @cgmunich.”
The new external affairs minister also responded to aTwitter user’s request for help in finding her husband in Kuwait and bringinghim to India.
She said her husband is not responding to court summons andliving peacefully in Kuwait.
To this, Jaishankar tweeted: “Our Embassy in Kuwait isalready working on it. Please be in touch with them @indembkwt.”
Responding to another on national education policy, he saidit was a only a draft report and that no language will be imposed.
“The National Education Policy as submitted to theMinister HRD is only a draft report. Feedback shall be obtained from generalpublic. State Governments will be consulted. Only after this the draft reportwill be finalised. GoI respects all languages. No language will beimposed,” he said.
As the draft education policy recommends introduction ofHindi from pre-school, there have been voices of opposition, especially from inTamil Nadu, to the recommendation.
In his first official Twitter post, Jaishankar on Saturdaysaid he was “proud to follow on the footsteps” of Swaraj.
“My first tweet. Thank you all for the best wishes!Honoured to be given this responsibility. Proud to follow on the footsteps of@SushmaSwarajji,” he said.
In a surprise move, Prime Minister NarendraModi picked theseasoned diplomat to helm the key ministry, nearly 16 months after he retiredas foreign secretary.
Jaishankar served as foreign secretary from January 2015 toJanuary 2018 and both he and Swaraj, the external affairs minister in theprevious government, were credited for bringing vibrancy in India’s foreignpolicy.
Jaishankar’s appointment is seen as Modi’s attempt to addfurther strategic heft to India’s external engagement. “We at Team@MEAIndia continue to be at your service 24×7. Happy to be leading the effortwith my colleague MoSMuraleedharanji @VMBJP,” Jaishankar said in anothertweet on Saturday.
As external affairs minister in the previous government,Swaraj was known for prompt response on Twitter in addressing grievances of theoverseas Indians. Her interaction with the diaspora through socialmedia, established her as someone who can be reached in distress with just theclick of a mouse.