Library with 11,000 books built by daily wage labourer burnt by miscreants in Mysuru

Mysuru: Syed Issaq, a 62-year-old daily wage worker, was left distraught as a precious collection of 11,000 books in his library was torched by miscreants. The incident occurred at Rajiv Nagar in Udayagiri police station limits of Mysuru where Syed Issaq had set up a library in a make-shift structure. A sofa repair shop located next to the book shop was also burnt in the fire.

The books, which were mostly in Kannada, were reduced to ashes. Syed was informed about the fire early hours, by a resident living near the library. He rushed to the spot to douse the fire, but to no avail, and the books were burnt by the time the flames were extinguished by fire department personnel.

According to Syed Issaq, miscreants had earlier caused damage to his library. He lodged a complaint with the Udaygiri police. A case under section 436 (mischief by fire) of the Indian Penal Code was registered.

According to the police, the area near the library was a garbage dump which was often set on fire. The suspect that either fire from the garbage or a live cigarette might have led to burning of the library. "The incident took place in the early hours. It looks like the work of some miscreants. We have registered an FIR against unknown persons based on Syed Issaq's complaint and investigation is on," said a senior police official.

Issaq, who does not have any formal education, set up the library in January 2011 to help people in his area read books. He makes a living by cleaning drainage pipes. Syed Issaq who realised his own deficiency due to lack of education opportunity in his childhood wanted to open a library and give access to books to those who were keen to read. The place where the library stood is a slum and he kept mostly Kannada and Urdu books. Issaq a lover of Kannada desires to see the language prosper.

He also subscribes to 17 newspapers in Kannada, English, Urdu and Tamil. His library contained 3,000 copies of Bhagavad Gita as well as copies of the Quran and the Bible and books on freedom fighters like Bhagat Singh, Subhash Chandra Bose, Mahatma Gandhi, poets like Kuvempu, Da Ra Bendre. He sourced books through donors, and most of them. Syed previously worked as a labourer cleaning the underground drainage system, and did other odd jobs to earn a living. He said that he wants to rebuild the library.