I have had this privilege to write about, most humble and caring lady, I had come across in my life – Begum Bilkees Idris Latif. She was someone who cared about other’s happiness way before hers. With the recent passing away of Begum Bilkees Latif, Hyderabad has lost an eminent and great person. I knew from a long time that she had been unwell and had been painfully suffering from cancer, but when I received the news that Begum Latif had gone to be with the God, I was deeply saddened with such a great loss. It’s hard to describe the multitude of thoughts and emotions one has on loosing such a loving & charismatic person.
Begum Bilkees Latif,was a very versatile, much appreciated, yet humble person. A woman of great strength and inner beauty. Her popularity lay in her unaffectedness, her gentleness and kindness to all around her.An immensely strong & charismatic character, combined with a unique natural grace, and an infectious optimism about life, itself. Born into a Jagirdari Nawabi Family, she was the daughter Nawab Ali Yawar Jung and AlysIffring, a lady of French origin. Nawab Ali Yawar Jung belonging to distinguished Hyderabadi family of scholars, administrators and educators had served as a Vice-Chancellor for Osmania and Aligarh Muslim University and also as the Governor to the state of Maharashtra. He was also awarded by Padma Bhushan and the Padma Vibushan by the Indian Government in 1959 and 1977.
Begum Bilkees was married to former Air Chief Marshall Idris Hasan Latif, who also served as the governor of Maharashtra and later as the Ambassador to France. Her Marriage with Marshall Latif, required her to travel all across India and abroad but still she continued to be concerned about her state Hyderabad, and towards the sad plight women and children of Dharavi.
Bilkees Latif spent much of her time towards the up liftment of the poor in the slums of Dharavi –Mumbai and was awarded by the Padma Shree in 2008, for her instrumental work &contribution towards women’s rights and child education. She had written three books and numerous articles on Hyderabad and on women. Her multi-faceted, charismatic personality included many skills as a talented painter, culinary expert in Deccan i cooking, dexterous seamstress skills, Social work, erudite & well informed about the culture and history of Hyderabad Deccan.
She was invited on many occasions to lecture on the Historical subjects epically connected with women of India in France, Indonesia and the United States of America. Her style and disposition reflect her extraordinary life she spent studying Hyderabadi Ganga -Jamani Culture, arts and its history. A person who shared and embodied these special Hyderabadi values was Begum Latif. She stared her social work, as the wife of the Air Chief Marshall, where she used to talk to the wife’s of the servicemen and counsel them on how to appreciate their husband’s service to the nation. In 1980 she took up the cause of slum dwellers of Dharavi .After that there was no stopping, She established numerous organizations that increasingly today work for the betterment and education of the poor. The society of Human Environmental Development (SHED) was one of her first charitable organizations.
Embedded deep into Ghandhian values she was a woman of great sacrifice, she laid aside her comforts her dreams for the sake of needy woman and children of the slums. A woman of great faith, fun, and endurance, she consistently stood strong in times of trouble believing in her God .With her service to the needy, brought great warmth into Life of many,and helped them to believe in themselves.
Begum Bilkees, was highly influenced by historical personalities like SarojiniNaidu,Mahalaqa Bai Chanda, Indira Gandhi and many more influential people. This association, along with an extensive reading of the art and history gave Begum Bilkees, the polish that made her natural talents irresistible to the lover of literature. Furthermore of being a culinary expert, her recipes and parties which she often hosted for many were a sheer gastronomical delight. Her expert culinary skills were penned in her book “Essential of Andhra cookbook” in 1999. As a refined painter and artist,one of her artwork a 8 –foot long mural was displayed at the Japan Aero Exposition in Osaka in 1970.Her interest and taste for aesthetics of art and culture would be clearly visible in the various objects d’art that filled every corner of her exquisite apartment. Other books written by Begum Bilkkes were –The fragrance of Forgotten Years -1984, Forgotten -2010, and The ladder of His Life – 2013.
I remember cheerfully when in 2013, on my personal invitation, Begum Bilkees along with Marshall Latif had agreed to come as the Chief Guest of honor and inaugurate the Zinda Tilismath Stall at the 73rd Numaish Grounds Nampally, it was an memorable event for us , to have Begum Latif give us our precious time from her busy schedule.
Be it her bobbed brown hair, chiffon saree with hand stitched Banaras borders which she took great pleasure in stitching them herself, her elegant Basra pearls or charismatic presence, Begum Bilkees represented the embodiment of grace charm and sophistication in every aspect of life.
On the day of her funeral on 27th October 2017, when her body was quietly lowered to her into the grave in the Sulemani Khabrastaan of Hussani Alam area in the old city of Hyderabad, these lines from her book “The Fragrance of Forgotten Years” entered my mind…… “The earth around her grave was moist and soft, I put my hand where her long feet would have been has she really been lying there .I silently read Sur Al Fatehha’ and pray within “Keep her happy wherever she is, please God”.It did exactly the same as written above and hoped that she is at peace and has found what she had sought for so long.
By Mohammed Saad Farooqui
Chief Accounts Officer
Karkhana Zinda Tilismath