Imdad Jah Bahdur, one of the three surviving sons of the last Nizam, Nawab Mir Osman Ali Khan Bahadur, an otherwise quiet person who prefers to stay away from public affairs, has now entered a new phase in his life. Last week he filed his nomination to contest for the Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency, under the banner of a little-known political outfit, Ambedkar National Congress.
You don’t hear of this kind of candidate often. With just 13 days to go for elections, Jah, wearing a white kurtapyjama, is sitting relaxed at his house on Road No. 13, Banjara Hills. He is waiting for the founder president of Ambedkar National Congress, Kazim Ali Khan, who would be holding a press conference and introduce him to the public soon.
It is evident from his talk that he does not appreciate either the turbulent ways of politics or the intricacies of fighting an election. “I have always wanted to serve people, reach out to them. But somehow I could never do that. No political party ever sought me out. If I had gone to some political party on my own offering my services, it would have appeared as if I was seeking a favour. I would never like that. After all I have to respect the name of our father, the late Nizam,” he told HNN.
Kazim Khan had requested him to contest from Secunderabad, he said. “Kazim said that people would vote for me because of the good name of my father. He also said his party has fielded six candidates for the assembly. He has also promised to bear all the election expenses,” Jah added. Now that’s a peculiar statement at a time when most candidates claim to have bought party tickets.
Perhaps that is because like many other Nizam family members, and quite unlike most other political candidates in the fray, Jah is cash-strapped. A few months after the death of his father in 1967, Jah had started a hotel Race View in the palatial house he had inherited from his parents. The business had been good for two years until it ran into trouble and Jah had to sell the property. He shifted to Banjara Hills much later, in 1996.
Though he realizes that the chances of his victory are remote, he plans to serve people, in case he is elected, like his father who had considered Hindus and Muslims both equally important, like two eyes.
Jah is one of the 16 sons and 17 daughters born to the Nizam from different wives. Born in 1944, Jah is the only issue of his mother Jaani Begum, also a scion of Nizam’s family. His surviving half-brothers are Prince Nawazish Jah and Prince Fazal Jah and halfsisters Sahebzadi Basheerunnisa Begum, Sahebzadi Mashhadi Begum and Sahebzadi Sayeeda Begum. Jah has 10 children - five sons and five daughters.
No comments:
Post a Comment