Articles
How the Nizam’s Trust Contributed to the Bhavan’s School in Hyderabad
Dt: 1/6/21
How the Nizam’s Trust Contributed to the Bhavan’s School in Hyderabad
Dr T.H.Chowdary*
The late Mahamana Madan Mohan Malavya ji was referred to as a prince among beggars . The occasion was the establishment of Benares Hindu University for which Malavya ji went round the country collecting donations especially from Princes and Nawabs. The Nizam Nawab Osman Ali Khan was reputed to be the richest person in the world . Malavya ji approached him for a donation for the University he was establishing . The Nizam refused.
2. Malavya ji did not give up . He knew that on every Friday the Nizam would go to the Jumma masjid for prayers and on his way back he would be distributing money to the beggars who used to lineup along both sides of the road between King Koti and Jumma masjid. Madan Mohan Malavya ji stood among those beggars. He was conspicuous by his dress especially his turban. Nizam saw him with a beggar bowl in the beggar lines. He was surprised and moved . He got Malavyaji to his palace and gave a sumptuous contribution . It was this incident which earned the epithet , prince among beggars for Malavyaji.
3. I am recalling this incident to narrate how I collected contributions as the founding Chairman of the Bhavans school in 1979-83. I was then (1978-83) the General Manager of telecommunications in the state of AP ( undivided). We had no money to start with. I used to ring up prospective donors. I requested for a interest free deposit of Rs 2000 which would be returned when the school is well established. I approached the Jubilee Hills Co-operative House Building Society and requested them to give me an open site for the location of this schools . I agreed to the condition it stipulated namely that 25% of the seats must be given to the children sponsored by the Society. It was not an unfair condition . We put up temporary structures with thatched roof. We told the parents that for every child admitted a Rs. 2000 non- interest bearing deposit should be contributed to this Bhavans school and that it will be returned whenever the child is withdrawn. The prestige of the Bhavan was such that there were plenty of applications and the school started with such amounts collected. I wanted to get donations for Bhavan from one of the Nizam’s Trusts. I was on the look out . A very senior and prominent person connected with the Nizam Trust had an application for a telephone waiting for so many years in some town in Warangal district. He approached me. I straight away sanctioned a telephone and also constructed a new line and the service was given . The gentleman was very happy that I readily acceded to his request. After a few days, I invited him to visit the Bhavan’s school in Jubilee Hills. At first he hesitated thinking that it must be a Hindu school managed by Hindus. On my respectful insistence he condescended to visit the school. I first introduced the principal, Sabiha Shah , a Muslim . The Nizam’s Trust man was pleasantly shocked and surprised to know that what he thought as a purely Hindu school has appointed a Muslim and that too a lady as the first principal of the school. I then took him around the classes . In one class I asked all the Muslim students to raise their hands . Nearly 25% of the students raised their hands. The trust man was even more shocked that what he thought was a Hindu school is having not only a Muslim lady as principal and also has so many Muslim boys and girls as students in this school. After some time he went to his office and sent a cheque for a good amount. It was Mahamana Malavya’s beggar role that guided me to the Nizam’s Trust.
4. The Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan was founded by the late Kulapati K M Munshi a renowned lawyer, scholar, writer, legislator and a constitutional expert. His contribution to the drafting of the constitution and how the constitution was framed is told by him in his book, “Pilgrimage to Freedom” . Munshiji in the 1930s itself realised that the new generations of Indians will be fascinated by English medium education and such people would tend to be totally ignorant of Bharat’s ancient history especially our epics Ramayana, Mahabharat and our puranas like Bhagavata and of course, the rich Vedic and Upanashadic literature. He founded not only the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan but also launched the Bhavan’s Book Library. He got great people like Rajaji to write Mahabharata and Ramayana in simple English . He himself wrote the famous book Krishnavatara and expanded that story till his death into several volumes. Various other noted scholars were encouraged and invited to write on various topics on Bharat’s history and culture. The Bhavan has several scores of educational institutions spread all over India with the largest number in Kerala! The Bhavan has centers in UK and US. Bhavan’s schools are instilling patriotism and love for Bharatiya culture and its great history. Every day the school starts with a Bhavan prayer beginning with “om purnamadaha” through invocation to Sarasvati and Vyasa ending with:
Sahana vavatu sahanau bhunaktu
Saha veeryam karavavahaihi
Tejasvi navadheetamastu
Mavidvishava haihi
Om santhi santi santi hi!
(887 words)
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