153
Referring to the paragraph about Sir Syed Ahmad Khan of
Allyghur, in my last letter, a friend told me: This is not the
first instance in which such means have been employed by the
Nizam's officials. I know a Subadhar, still in the service, who
indemnified himself for the money he had to give His Highness's
Choukdars by way of baksheesh, by charging one per cent. and-a-
half on the salaries of his subordinates. And this is on official
record."
People in Hyderabad are known to be men of large promises.
But few know outside Hyderabad what miserable things these
large promises dwindle into when it comes to keeping them, and
how often they remain merely promises "for all time." Within
the last few years we have heard of several funds started by
titled "gents" for public purposes. But no one seems to know
what efforts have been made to make these funds successes, and
how far they have been successful. What has become of the
Salar Jung Memorial Fund which many big men in the official
and non official circles stood god-fathers to? What has become
of the Fund started by no less a personage than the Nawab
Imad-nl-Mulk Bahadur, in aid of Pundita Rambhai's Sarada
Sadhan? What has become of Balakrishna Memorial Fund
with which the names of such men as Messrs, Heenan aud Crolly
were associated? And when are we to have our Chadarghaut
Jubilee gardens? Who can answer these questions.
