statement by external affairs minister shri natwar singh on the sad passing away of shri sunil dutt

Wednesday, May 25, 2005

On the sad passing away of Shri Sunil Dutt, Shri Natwar Singh, External Affairs Minister on his way to Dakar, Senegal made the following statement.

"Sunil Bhai was one of my dearest and closest friend for 30 years, I am stunned by his sudden death. He was one of God’s great gifts to humanity. He was undoubtedly a great actor, who was also one of our earlier super cinema star but he was much more than that – a compassionate human being, a spirited minister, a magnanimous performer. Even at his age he drove himself very hard. His passion to help the marginalized, the needy and the neglected was huge. Ministerial trappings mattered little to him. Nevertheless, he brought great lustre, dignity and poise to the UPA Government. My sincere and heartfelt condolences to his son Sanjay and other members of the family."

AK/SK/JA