Mughal heiress gets help to marry off daughter

Now,help has unexpectedly come from the Bismillah — The Beginning Foundation,an organisation that aims to protect musicians,artists and writers from being deprived of their basic right to a decent life.

“I am grateful there are some who have come forward to help me. My husband,the late Muhammad Bedar Bakht who was the son of Jamshid Bakht and grandson of Jawan Bakht,used to tell me that we come from respectable royal families who never begged for a living. I have always asked governments to provide me what my family deserves,” said Sultana Begum. “Today,I am proud I will be able to marry off my daughter with the money I am being given by Darda Saheb,” said Sultana. Her benefactor,Vijay Darda,is a Rajya Sabha MP from Maharashtra.

A BJP supporter,Sultana is bitter about the CPM and the Congress. She sought help from Congress president Sonia Gandhi who,she says,ignored her. Saddled with growing financial problems and the concern of having to marry off her daughters,Sultana was approached by the foundation,which started a campaign called “Andolan Ek Pustak Se”,a movement born to mitigate the miseries of the late Ustad Bismillah Khan seven years ago.

A Delhi-based couple,Shivnath Jha,a journalist,and Neena Jha,a teacher,were the initiators of the campaign launched under the name of “Bismillah: The Beginning Foundation”. Sultana will get the aid through the money raised by the proceeds of the sale of a 534-page pictorial book on 14 Prime Ministers to be released in the next few months. Sultana Begum received a grant of Rs 2 lakh from Rajya Sabha member from Maharashtra Vijay Darda from his personal account.

“Despite being a Begum of the Mughal family,Sultana has not got respect and help from anyone. I started my foundation with my wife after I saw Ustad Bismillah Khan seeking financial help from the Centre and being made to perform for that. This foundation is to pay back to all those whose families have given so much to us,” said Shivnath.