Tragedy of Hyderabad

About this book

CHAPTER I AFTER THE PARTITION It was some date early in November of 1947, when I was strolling about the pleasant lounge of the Santa Cruz Airport at Bombay, good half an hour before the departure time of the Deccan Airways Plane to Hyderabad, when I heard something resembling my name announced on the microphone. It repeated “ ……….Ali, please call at police office desk.” Anyway, I approached the desk and asked if it was me who was wanted. The police officer indifferently checked up the list and said, “Yes”. “Well !“, I said, “here I am and what is it about?” I was asked if I was going to Hyderabad. “Yes”. I was. Did I have a passport? As it happened I was on my way back from the United States and had my passport on me. After a little pause, I told the police officer that I did have a passport. He did not appear particularly pleased at my producing the document which was full of visas for a good many countries and indicated some diplomatic privileges. He then made a note of the number and date of the passport on a small slip of paper which, even before I had turned my back, he crumpled and threw into the wastepaper basket. I told the police officer that I did not know a passport was needed for Hyderabad. “Ah, yes !“, he said, “Hyderabad is a foreign country!”. I then had to submit my luggage to the crudest examination I ever experienced before it could be sent on board the plane. A little later I met in the lounge someone from Hyderabad, I knew. He appeared greatly agitated. I asked him how he was and what the matter was with him. He said he was being harassed by the police who wanted him to produce a passport or a special permit for journey to Hyderabad and as he was in possession of neither he was having a difficult time. Later, he entered into a heated argument with the police officer and was finally allowed to proceed. I then met some Hindu friends who were also on their way to Hyderabad. I asked them, in course of conversation, if they had also been asked to produce passports or permits to go to Hyderabad and, if their luggage I