The grand old man of Aziz Bagh
As he watches his great grandson Arman Saberi going to school, 90-yearold Dr Hasnuddin Ahmed is confident that the boy has it in him to make it to the All India Civil Services and carry his legacy forward.
“Arman wants to be an IAS or IPS officer. Every time he meets an IAS or IPS officer, his determination to make it to the services strengthens,” says Dr Hasnuddin, a retired IAS offi- cer himself. After a long career wherein he served in the Nizam’s government followed by the military regime, the state and Central governments, Dr Hasnuddin Ahmed today is a proud father of two sons, six grand-daughters and nearly a dozen great grandchildren.
A PhD from Jamia Millia Islamiah, New Delhi, he has written over 25 books in Urdu and English and is the founder member of several service organisations and trusts. He was also the recipient of the Makhdoom Award in 2003 and continues to write even at the age of 90. One of his major works was translating the Bhagvad Gita into Urdu in 1945 during the reign of Mir
Osman Ali Khan, the seventh Nizam. Dr Ahmed’s is a well-known family in Hyderabad and Saberi Constructions, Saberi Opticals and Shades, to name a few, are among the top brands in the country. The social gatherings at Aziz Bagh, the family’s fabulous residence in the Old City, have seen the city’s who’s who.
As part of the post-World War II reconstruction plan, the Nizam’s government had sent 300 students and officers to the US, UK and Scandinavian countries to study policies there so that they could work to improve Hyderabad after returning. “I was serving as assistant director, Religious Affairs Department, when I was selected. On my return, I headed the department as its director. But after the police action, without any reason, I was demoted to assistant director and my assistant was made the director. Since my family decided not to migrate to Pakistan and my father, who was then the DGP, was arrested, I accepted the assistant director’s post and we stayed in Aziz Bagh,” he says.
His rise, however, was unstoppable and in 1964 he was absorbed in the IAS and was posted as Joint Collector, Visakhapatnam. “Throughout my journey, my wife Anees Fathima had been a great support,” he adds. Joining the conversation, the lady in question says, “He has never scolded me. He is a man of understanding, sharing and caring. I have seen him getting angry over several issues but it has never been the case with me.”
Fathima joined the Congress and was elected corporator from Darul Shifa. She says that it was she who had suggested that a bridge be constructed at the Salar Jung museum. “I quit politics because I had a family to take care of.”
Their eldest son, Shamsuddin Ahmed is an engineer and a registered government valuer. He is also on the panel of several banks. “My father has been a great source of inspiration to all of us in every field. We are delighted that my grandson Arman Saberi has decided to follow in the footsteps of his greatgrandfather. I married my cousin Farzana Ahmed and we have four daughters and eight grand-children,” he says. Dr Ahmed’s second son, Zaheeruddin Ahmed, is settled in US with his wife Razia Ahmed and two daughters, both of whom are married. “I grew up with the responsibility of living up to the good name of my father Dr Hasanuddin Ahmed and my forefathers. My father is a great advocate of education. For him there is no compromise on education. Money comes and goes but education is something that no one can take away from you,” says Zaheeruddin.
“We visit Hyderabad every year. In 1993, I started a program called ‘Food for All’ for Hyderabadis and since then, every year, we try to make sure that people in Hyderabad don’t go hungry. This is a very successful program with many in Europe, Middle-East, and USA regularly contributing.
“I have written a book on the Hyderabadi culture and our family heritage, called Aziz Bagh, the Heritage of Culture, published by Amazon in USA. We have a rich culture that must be preserved at any cost,” he adds.
Hasnain Saberi, Shamsuddin’s son-in-law and also first cousin in relation, is carrying forward the tradition of helping the poor with education, sponsoring marriages of girls from economically weaker sections and several other social works. He also looks after the chain of Saberi Opticals, Saberi Constructions and Shades to name a few business enterprises.