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New Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
'Would we suffer like this if Zafar had surrendered?': I-Day lament of last Mughal's descendants
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivers the 79th Independence Day address from Delhi's iconic Red Fort, a heavy historical irony looms in silence. Just over a thousand kilometers away, in a crumbling hut in the slums of Howrah, Sultana Begum—the 74-year-old great-granddaughter-in-law of Bahadur Shah Zafar, India's last Mughal emperor—struggles to afford medication and relies on a meagre ₹6,000 monthly pension to survive. The Red Fort, once the seat of Mughal power, is now a stage for the modern Indian state. Yet the descendants of the very monarch who made his final stand against British rule during the Revolt of 1857 now live a life of obscurity and deprivation. Sultana Begum's life is one of faded grandeur, reduced to poverty, marked by betrayal—both from the state and from those who claim to speak for justice, faith, and heritage. Sultana's late husband, Mirza Muhammad Bedar Bukht, was the great-grandson of Bahadur Shah Zafar. After the fall of Delhi in 1857 and the subsequent execution of Zafar's sons, the British exiled the emperor to Rangoon, where he died in captivity. Bedar, still a young man in colonial Burma, was smuggled back to India with the assistance of Piare Mian, his maternal grandfather and guardian hailing from Lucknow. It is widely believed that this operation took place under the protective vision of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, who saw the surviving bloodline of Zafar not as a relic of monarchy, but as a symbolic embodiment of resistance. Netaji ensured Bedar's safety and shelter during a time when the British sought to erase every trace of the Mughal line. For decades, the family lived under assumed names, moving between cities and hiding in plain sight. Only after Independence in 1947 did Bedar reveal his true identity, expecting that the new Indian state would honour the memory of his forefather's sacrifice and legacy. That hope, like many others, would eventually erode.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Work-from-home scam has Houston senior worried about paying bills, homelessness
Work-from-home jobs can provide valuable income for people who are unable to work a traditional job. For Mildred Bedar, a Houston resident, her work-at-home position helped her pay the bills, until the company disappeared without sending her a paycheck. Bedar said she was hired to inspect shipments from Amazon, repackage them, and send the products to their final destination. She was supposed to be paid $2,900 for her work, with a bonus of $20 for every package that she handled. What she was ultimately paid, however, was nothing, putting her at serious risk of losing her home. Here's how she became a victim of a work-from-home scam. Bedar said she worked for the company that hired her for months, only to have the business vanish before her scheduled payday, leaving her in a bind. "I'll be homeless if I don't get that money," Bedar told Fox 26 Houston. "I'm a 68-year-old woman with her service dog out on the street or her car is not something I would think about." It's unlikely that Amazon shipping will come, however, because the Postal Service and the Better Business Bureau believe that Bedar had inadvertently been duped into a "reshipping scam." These scams involve products acquired illegally and are then laundered through multiple shipping steps to hide their origin. A spokesperson from the Better Business Bureau, Leah Napoliello, explained the scam and the unfortunate fallout for Bedar. "If she has not been paid and suddenly the business has gone dark — there's no evidence they're still operating — and there's no way to contact them to request payment, then that is very suspicious," Napoliello said. There's little Bedar can do to recover the promised paycheck, as the company was not a legitimate one in the first place. While Bedar is unlikely to get her money, others can learn from her experience and avoid work-from-home scams. Some red flags to watch out for that could suggest a job is not legitimate include: A company that expects a lot of work upfront before you get paid Pay that seems too good to be true for the expected work Companies that ask you to pay upfront to be considered for the job A business without a strong online presence, like a LinkedIn page or company website Getting hired without an in-person interview process in which you speak to someone via phone or Zoom Complaints about the company in online forums or online review sites If you spot any of these signs, you should move onto opportunities with a more reputable employer who is more likely to pay you. This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Houston woman faces homelessness after alleged work from home scam
The Brief Mildred Bedar, a Houston resident, is facing potential homelessness after not being paid for a work-from-home job with a Kentucky shipping company. The job involved inspecting and repackaging Amazon shipments, but the company stopped communicating after her first payday. The Better Business Bureau and Postal Service warn that the business resembles a "reshipping scam," which often involves illegitimate products. The backstory Mildred Bedar, a Houston resident, is facing the threat of homelessness after a work-from-home job with a Kentucky-based shipping company failed to pay her. Bedar was hired to inspect Amazon shipments, repackage them, and send them to their final destinations. Her employment agreement promised a monthly salary of $2,900, plus a $20 bonus for each package handled. After a month of work, the company ceased communication following her scheduled payday. Both the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and the Postal Service have indicated that the business resembles a "reshipping scam," which often involves products acquired illegitimately and laundered through multiple shipping steps. What they're saying "I'll be homeless if I don't get that money," Bedar said. "I'm a 68-year-old woman with her service dog out on the street or her car is not something I would think about." Leah Napoliello from the BBB commented on the situation, saying, "If she has not been paid, and suddenly the business has gone dark, there's no evidence they're still operating or way to contact them to request payment, then that is very suspicious." What you can do To help identify legitimate work-from-home opportunities, the BBB suggests looking for a direct interview process and ensuring the company properly vets candidates. They also advise being cautious if the payment seems excessive for the work and researching the company for any complaints about its operations. The Source The U.S. Postal Service and The Better Business Bureau.
