Being a member of the Parliament Lata Mangeshkar never accepted allowance

Lata Mangeshkar, who died on Sunday at the age of 92, was renowned as the “Nightingale of India” for her seven-decade career as a vocalist. From 1999 to 2005, she was a member of the Rajya Sabha and a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information and Technology. Mangeshkar was also a member of the Consultative Committee of the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry. Mangeshkar, who despised her time in the Rajya Sabha and was reluctant to be sworn in as a member of Parliament, refused to accept the allowances she was entitled to as a member of the House. All of her payments were returned by her.

She sang poet Mohammed Iqbal’s legendary “Saare Jahan Se Acha” at Parliament’s Central Hall with musician Pandit Bhim Sen Joshi on the Golden Jubilee of India’s independence on August 15, 1997.

As the nation pays tribute to the 'Nightingale of India', Lata Mangeshkar ji, let us revisit the beautiful memory of her singing the Sare Jahan se Achha, during the Independence Day Golden Jubilee Celebrations in Central Hall – Parliament House on 14-15 August 1997. pic.twitter.com/g3FppDjD6K

— Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (@MIB_India) February 6, 2022

She was known as a warm-hearted lady, which she further demonstrated by refusing to accept any allowances as a member of Parliament.