The great grandson of Mir Osman Ali Khan, the last Nizam of Hyderabad, has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to prevent BJP leaders from dragging the name of Khan during election campaigns. Himayat Ali Mirza, the great grandson, has also approached the Election Commission over the matter.
Mirza claims that the name of Mir Osman Ali Khan, who was the Nizam of Hyderabad when the Razakars committed a genocide of Hindus, is misused for electoral and political benefits. He told TOI, “When India became the Republic on January 26, 1950, the Government of India appointed him as the Raj Pramukh or governor of Hyderabad state. The Nizam held a constitutional post and no political party or politician can talk bad about him.”
“The Nizam saw Hindus and Muslims as his two eyes. He was the largest donor of grants to places of worship of all faiths. The Nizam gave special paid leave for employees visiting pilgrim centres like Banaras,” added Himayat Ali Mirza.
Mirza rued the fact that Mir Osman Ali Khan was “maligned during every election” in Telangana. During the independence era, the Nizam attempted to retain Hyderabad’s independence and wished to refrain from joining either India or Pakistan. However, there was pressure from Majlis-e-Itihadul Muslimeen (precursor of present-day AIMIM) to join Pakistan instead.
Fearing reprisal from the Hindu populace in his state, the Nizam sanctioned the formation of Razakars, who were to serve as the paramilitary wing of the MIM. Subsequently, the Razakars went on a rampage, slaughtering and raping Hindus in their wake in their bid to turn Hyderabad into a Muslim majority province.
Numerous atrocities were committed against the Hindu community, leading then Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to initiate Operation Polo to rid Hyderabad of the menace. It ended with Hyderabad joining the Indian Union.
Decades later, the Nizam’s grandson wants political parties to not “malign” the person who sanctioned the creation of the force that committed a genocide.
