Hyderabad: Seventh Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan’s 135th birth anniversary was celebrated on Tuesday with his grandson Nawab Najaf Ali Khan demanding that the government officially celebrate the day every year.
Najaf Ali Khan said the government should recognise his umpteen contributions by celebrating his birthday officially as his farsighted vision and judicious judgments transformed Hyderabad into a modern state even after its accession to India.
He pointed out that Nizam VII is remembered as a highly benevolent ruler who always thought of providing the best modern facilities for his people irrespective of caste or religion.
The common man of Hyderabad in his day-to-day life still uses a lot of amenities and utilities of the Nizam’s reign even 54 years after his death. Monuments and structures made by him should be preserved and safeguarded. A lesson in history curriculum should be included highlighting his achievements, said the grandson of the last ruler of Hyderabad State.
Referring to Covid-19 pandemic which has put the health infrastructure in the country under severe stress, Najaf Ali Khan said the Nizam’s concern towards health sector was remarkable. The construction of Osmania General Hospital, Unani Hospital, Fever Hospital (also known as Koranti Dawakhana), Nizam Orthopaedic Hospital (NIMS) and Niloufer Hospital came into existence during his reign.
One of his biggest contributions to health and welfare was the creation of Nizam’s Charitable Trust in 1950s with the corpus of Rs 5 crores which is still existing and many get monetary help for their medical treatment, Nizam’s grandson added.
