Recalling Kaushal’s career, the PM said, “He became India’s youngest Governor and left a lasting impression on the people of Mizoram during his gubernatorial tenure. His insights as a Parliamentarian were also noteworthy. My thoughts are with his daughter, Bansuri and the other family members in this sad hour.”
Kaushal, 73, died in the afternoon after developing a medical complication. He was brought to the AIIMS Emergency Department at 10.45 a.m. in critical condition. The emergency medical team immediately initiated resuscitation measures, but despite all efforts, he could not be revived and was declared dead at 1.50 p.m., said a statement issued by the hospital.
Several leaders, across the political spectrum, paid tribute to Kaushal, who was cremated at the Lodhi Road cremation ground on Thursday evening. In a social media post, BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj paid a tribute to her father and said, “Papa Swaraj Kaushal ji, your affection, your discipline, your simplicity, your patriotism, and your boundless patience are the light of my life that will never dim.”
“Your departure has descended upon me as the deepest pain of the heart, but the mind holds onto this belief that you have now reunited with Mother, in the presence of God, in eternal peace,” she said. Being your daughter is the greatest pride of my life, and your legacy, your values, and your blessings will be the foundation of every journey ahead, she said.
Born in Solan on July 12, 1952, Kaushal, a distinguished criminal lawyer who studied in Delhi and Chandigarh, served as Mizoram Governor between 1990 and 1993. He also served as a member of Parliament between 1998 and 2004 as a leader of the Haryana Vikas Party, representing the state of Haryana. He was a member of the Rajya Sabha from 1998-99 and 2000-2004.
Kaushal married Sushma Swaraj in 1975, and their only child, Bansuri Swaraj, is currently a BJP Lok Sabha member from the New Delhi constituency. Former Sushma Swaraj died of a cardiac arrest in New Delhi on August 6, 2019. During his career, Kaushal had earned the distinction of being an expert on the northeast region and its insurgency problem.
He is remembered for the key role he played in the signing of the Mizoram Peace Accord in 1986, ending 20 years of insurgency. He was also appointed the first Advocate General of Mizoram in 1987. In his early years as a lawyer, Kaushal made a name for himself by representing socialist leader George Fernandes in the Baroda dynamite case trial during the Emergency of 1975-77.
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