Bhopal rubaats | Inheriting a legacy of trouble

As the last century groaned forward, those with a rosy view of the past have sought to hold on to a kind of sepia-tinted idea of princely generosity. Look no further than the Bhopal rubaats, or guesthouses for Haj pilgrims in Mecca and Medina, constructed during the reign of Bhopal’s begums Shah Jahan and her daughter Sultan Jehan, together dating from 1838-1930. At least since 1920, these structures have offered refuge to the city’s devout who made what’s a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the holy lands—no doubt, for these travellers, they also stood as a comforting emotional bridge to what’s seen as the ‘Golden Era’ of the Bhopal nawabs.

But today, with the messy ways of democracy, such ideas perish fast—what with a rising sense of community entitlement. Controversy has attended the rubaats for long, but it peaked recently after a Bhopal Congress MLA accused its custodians of mismanagement, to the extent that it left pilgrims bereft of a place to stay during the Haj. Caught in the centre of the row are Bhopal-based industrialist Sikander Hafiz Khan as well as Saba Sultan, the daughter of cricket icon M.A.K. Pataudi and Sharmila Tagore, often seen as the most reticent of the celebrity clan.

These properties are under the Aukaf-e-Shahi, a body that manages the network of religious properties and endowments created by Bhopal’s erstwhile ruling family. Saba has been the Mutawalli, or custodian of the Aukaf-e-Shahi, since October 2011. Sikandar Hafiz Khan, a prime target of the accusers, has her power of attorney.

TECHNICAL KNOCKOUT

What’s the genesis of all this? Over the decades, expansion projects in Mecca and Medina led to the original guesthouses being dismantled. The compensation money was used to buy new properties so the tradition of free accommodation for Hajis could continue. Quiet by temperament, Saba has largely kept her public life confined to this low-visibility trusteeship, via the good offices of Khan.

But Arif Masood, Congress MLA from Bhopal Central, alleges devil in the technical detail. Saba and Khan, he says, failed to complete the paperwork needed for the Mecca rubaat to be recognised as a place of stay by the Central Haj Committee. This rubaat has 210 seats for pilgrims from Bhopal, Raisen and Sehore—the area corresponding to the former state. When applications exceed this number, places are allotted by lottery. Those who secure a place have their stay covered and receive a refund of Rs 75,000 months later. Masood says delays in submitting papers mean no one can avail of this facility this year.

In Medina, where a rubaat can house around a thousand pilgrims, the building lies unused. There’s a decade-long trail of litigation here. Documents submitted in the Madhya Pradesh Waqf Tribunal show a new building was purchased in Mecca’s Azizia area for 18 million Saudi riyals (Rs 45 crore) in 2014 to function as a rubaat. But in Medina, says Citizens Welfare Forum president Mohammed Afaq, the changes on the ground were messier, and Saba, as the final custodian, ended up being removed by the court there. A recovery of 1.9 million Saudi riyals (Rs 4.84 crore) is still pending. And, in 2020, the court ordered that the rubaat be closed to pilgrims.

Khan, known for his charity work, denies the charges. In an aspect of hurt, he says all papers were submitted in time and he’s trying his best to ensure the rubaats become functional. Saba, when contacted, said: “The Medina matter is sub judice and I am therefore unable to comment on it. The Mecca rubaats remain in the possession of my nazir.” A curious twist came when BJP ex-MLA Dhruv Narayan Singh, who lost to Masood in the 2023 assembly election, came out to defend Khan. That may not assuage the Hajis.