I knew Sushmaji from the early 1970s when we were both studying law at Panjab University in Chandigarh; she was two years my junior. We had been political opponents since our days in student politics. But even then Sushmaji displayed a rare maturity of political mind. What endeared her to everyone, including people like me who were firmly affiliated to the Congress, was her firm belief that ideological rivalry should not be mixed with personal camaraderie.