Tragedy of Hyderabad

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 numbe