King Wajid Ali Shah’s last surviving great grandson falls victim to Corona

Sep 13, 2020

Kolkata: Great grandson of Awadh’s last king Wajid Ali Shah and Begum Hazrat Mahal —Kaukab Quder Sajjad Ali Meerza–is no more.

The last surviving scion of the King passed away at Peerless hospital here at 4.30 pm on Sunday, family members said. He was 87.

About a week ago he had tested positive for Covid-19. He is survived by his wife, two sons and four daughters.

He was also a Senior Trustee of the Sibtainabad Imambarah Trust in Matiaburj, Calcutta, where his King Wajid Ali Shah lies buried.

He had got his Doctorate in Urdu from Aligarh Muslim University on the Literary & Cultural Contributions of Wajid Ali Shah, after which he joined the university and retired as Professor of Urdu in 1993.

Also known as Dr. M. Kaukub, he was a popular figure in the Billiards & Snooker fraternity of the country. He was the _Founder-Secretary_ of The Billiards & Snooker Federation of India, The West Bengal Billiards Association and also The Uttar Pradesh Billiards & Snooker Association.

He was the Chief Referee of First World Snooker Championship held at the iconic Great Eastern Hotel in Calcutta in 1963-64. He had remained the Chief Referee of the National Billiards & Snooker Championship till it left the Palm Court of the Great Eastern Hotel in the nineteen seventies.

The rolling trophy of the IBSF World Snooker Championship, the M. M. Baig Trophy, was designed by him, and to this day remains the prestigious rolling trophy of the World Championship.

He had also brought out a pioneering Billiards magazine, _’The Baulkline’_, in the 1970s.

—INDIA NEWS STREAM