No women, Osmania University invites 4 male kin of Nizam for centenary fete

Hyderabad: Osmania University has decided to invite four members of the erstwhile Nizam of Hyderabad’s family to join other eminent persons to celebrate the centenary year of the University. They are Mir Barkat Ali Khan Mukarram Jah, Mir Karamath Ali Khan Muffakham Jah, Nawab Mir Azmet Ali Khan and Nawab Shahamat Jah, all grandchildren of the university’s founder Nizam VII, Mir Osman Ali Khan.

Osmania University Vice-Chancellor Prof S. Ramachandram told Deccan Chronicle that some of the descendants live abroad. The celebrations are being held from April 26 to 28.

Nizam VII founded the university in 1917 through a farman or royal charter and the university came into existence in 1918. It was the first university in the country where the medium of instruction was Urdu, but English was compulsory.
The four members of the family that have been invited are all males even though there are female members of the family such as the daughters of Nizam VII, Basheerunnissa and Lily Pasha, and granddaughter Rasheedunissa, who live in Hyderabad, and his only surviving son, Fazal Bahadur.

President Pranab Mukherjee will be the chief guest. Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan, Maharashtra Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, Union Minister of Human Resources Development Prakash Javdekar and state ministers will be present at the function on the OU campus. “We expect about 16,000 people on the inaugural day, including 1,000 VIPs, 10,000 students, and present and retired faculty among others,” the VC said.

On the instructions of police, passes are being issued to every invitee, including students. “I’ve had a series of discussions with students’ organisations and I am glad all of them promised to cooperate with the OU authorities in ensuring successful prestigious, memorable centenary celebrations,” Prof Ramachandram said.