NEW DELHI: Friends, relatives and supporters Sunday remembered Sheila Dikshit as an affable person who gave the best advice in hour of need, a concerned chief minister who cared for everyone and a leader above party politics.
Nandkishore Anand, 51, a Congress supporter, said he got his head tonsured when he heard about Dikshit's demise.
"This was my way of paying my last respects to her. She was like my mother. She would meet every party worker like a mother meets her children. She gave everything to the city in her 15-year tenure as Delhi chief minister, I just shaved my head," he said.
Shashi Bhushan, 50, a printing press owner, said he doesn't align with any political ideology but came to pay his tributes to Dikshit because she was above party politics.
"There is dearth of such fair-minded, kind-hearted leaders. She was a chief minister who worked selflessly and took everybody along. I remember that she was very concerned when newspapers reported that sparrows were disappearing from the city due to rapid urbanisation," he said.
Mobina Khatoon, 56, a resident of Nizammudin West, thanked Dikshit for helping her daughter secure admission in a school after a reputed private institution stopped special classes for EWS category students.
"I owe a lot to her. When nobody listened to us, she came to our rescue. I could not thank her then, so I came here today to see her one last time and offered prayers for her," she said.
Anastasia Gill, a member of Delhi Minority Commission, remembered Dikshit as a woman with a strong character and an inspiring leader with a vision.
"She treated everybody equally and it was her determination that she could fight back the allegations of corruption during her third term as chief minister. She empowered others and that's a quality of a true leader. She fought for ordinary people so that they could lead a live dignified life," Gill said.
Abhilasha Awasthi, a relative, said Dikshit did not differentiate between daughter and daughter-in-law.
"I was about to quit my job as a teacher in a Kendriya Vidyalaya when she advised her against it. I am 60 and have retired now. If I am getting a pension it's because of her," she said.
Narender Verma, a family friend of Dikshit, flew in from Dubai after hearing about her demise.
"The last time I met her was on May 10. She was a seasoned politician and she fought till her last breath," he said.
Virender Kumar Chaudhary, a Congress worker, said Dikshit provided wheelchairs for specially-abled persons to his NGO.