A royal ambiguity

But Fay Jahan Ara, who claims to be the widow of the grandson of a 19th century Indian king, was neither able to answer queries about her disputed royal descent nor convincingly explain what charitable projects her Royal Awadhi Cultural and Heritage (RACH) Foundation would launch in India from the millions of dirhams she intends to raise at a Dubai fund-raiser due in March next year.

At a press meet at the Burj Al Arab hotel on Monday, Jahan Ara read out from a pre-written note about the proposed fund-raiser and screened video footage of her mopping streets in the Indian city of Lucknow.

The cleanliness drive has kicked up a row in India with some descendants of King Wajid Ali Shah, the last ruler of Awadh, asking her to come clean on her ‘royalty' status. A few months back, Wasif Mirza, President of the Awadh Royal Family Association, wrote to the French Ambassador to India accusing Jahan Ara of misusing the name of Awadh royalty to raise funds.

But Jahan Ara, who likes to be referred to as Her Royal Highness Princess Fay Ary ducked all questions about the controversy, saying she was in Dubai to talk only about the charity.

However, she wasn't very forthcoming about it either. "We will provide education to poor children, install water hand pumps and do several other such things," she said.

By Jahan Ara's own admission, her RACH Foundation, which has four offices worldwide, has so far provided scholarships to only four slum children in India and installed five water hand pumps.

In a telephonic interview, Kolkata-based Asif Ali Mirza, a direct descendant of Wajid Ali Shah, said he was unaware of Jahan's Ara's royal descent, but could trace it if she gives him her husband's name. "I sent her an e-mail several months ago but she has yet to respond to it," he said.