Exactly a year ago, Syed Ishaq, an elderly daily wager, was devastated after his collection of more than 11,000 books was reduced to ashes in an accidental fire at the library housed in a thatched-roof structure at Rajiv Nagar in Mysuru.
But, his never-say-die spirit has helped him rebuild the library on the same spot in a makeshift structure with liberal donations from the general public in the form of books and monetary assistance.
Even though the assurance of the Department of Public Libraries and the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) to jointly build a concrete structure on the plot of land is yet to materialise, Mr. Ishaq, has managed to put up a makeshift structure with corrugated metal sheets on about 400 sq. ft of land and arranged the books that have largely been donated to him for his cause.
Mr. Ishaq, 64, an ardent proponent of Kannada language, had established a library on a plot of land at Rajiv Nagar in January 2011, to “spread knowledge” among the poor residents of the neighbourhood. He was even subscribing to 18 daily newspapers.
After the fire accident in the wee hours of April 9, 2021, the general public rallied around Mr. Ishaq. The Mysuru Urban Development Authority swung into action and allotted a plot of 5,000 sq. ft of land for the construction of a public library at the same spot.
The makeshift structure, built at a cost of around ₹4.5 lakh, including the ₹3.5 lakh he received as donations, now holds about 4,500 books, including the 2,100 donated by the Karnataka State Book Publishers Association and 750 donated by Nava Karnataka Book House.
A campaign taken up by professor of Political Science, University of Mysore, Muzaffar Assadi has helped collect another 6,500 books. To accommodate the additional books, Mr. Ishaq is planning to expand his makeshift library by another 200 to 250 feet, besides arranging for racks to keep the books.
“I may need another ₹2 lakh for the expansion. I am hopeful of raising them soon,” said Mr. Ishaq, who takes up odd jobs, including painting.
