Nostalgic -- Learning about Inspiring Women

The other day , as I got back home , my mother asked me – Did you read the news on Begum Hamida  passing awayin today’s Hindu ( March 14^th ) ( http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/former-rs-member-begum-hamida-dies-at-101/article23168427.ece ) ?  The news items was somewhere in the middle pages but I certainly did not read it till my mother pointed out . I had no idea of the connection my mother had with this lady .

I start to chat and my mother talked about how Begum Hamida had helped her and family to survive. This happened in 1958 some sixty years ago.My grandfather was the Librarian at the National Defence Academy at Khadakvasla and he passed away, leaving behind his wife ( my grandmother ), my mother and her two siblings all of a sudden. They had nowhere to go and were broke financially and were lost and had no life to look forward to. It was then that Begum Hamida stepped in to their lives. what would have happened if she had not stepped in , is difficult to fathom.

Major General Enaith Habibullah was an Indian Army General and he at that time was the  commandant of the National Defence Academy at Khadakvasla.  Begum Hamida ( his wife ) quickly understood the plight of the family. My mother was given a teacher job at the local army school . She had finished her schooling but no formal teacher training to be a teacher. My aunt ( mothers sister ) was supported to do her teacher training. With this in place , the family was able to live on . Begum Hamida supported the family  with her constant touch with the family and till her husband was posted elsewhere. Also the fact the Commandant being a voracious reader helped as he was regular at the library and knew my grandfather well.

My mother quickly connected with her brother ( now at Mumbai ), sent him a scanned copy of the article and my uncle gave more inputs on the support and their meetings at the residence of the commandant at the Peacock bay. (Peacock Bay is a part of Khadakvasla dam's lake. This bay is owned by the National Defence Academy, Pune. The name peacock bay is due to the large numbers of Peacocks found in this area )  Both my mother and her brother went back 60 years in time. My mother was high in praise of Begum for her courage , strength and support for women and her communication.

I sat down quietly and googled. I found so many articles in all newspapers about the passing away of the Begum . Everything that I read about her amazed me.She was the founder of SEWA (Self Employed Women's Association), which promoted self-employment for women , a parliamentarian and so on.

I was looking for a link that I could connect with her family  . I found it after some searching I found a news item that her grandson had announced her passing away at the age of 101 through Facebook . Then , it was simple . I sent a friend request to him  and posted a condolence message and how his grandmother  helped my mother and her family survive . Her grandson was  not at all surprised that someone remembered his grandmother after 60 years and were still thanking her and family.

Very nostalgic but I have to give it to my mother for her reading habits – this helped us find good memories within the family and I could learn all about Begum Hamida ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamida_Habibullah ) and her truly inspiration work for thWomen. An evening to remember !