For over a century, a small library and reading room have been attracting bibliophiles in Tiruchi’s Singarathope area with their collection of books and periodicals, some of which date back to pre-independence days.
“Though the library’s venue has changed several times, from Allimaal Street to Sowcar Hall, our own building and to its current premises, we have never closed the library to the public from the day it opened in 1916,” says K Syed Jafar, general secretary of the Muslim Literary Society (MLS), that runs the institution.
The library and reading room were relocated in 1992 to a rented building (a part of the Nawab of Arcot’s endowment) in a by-lane of the busy shopping district of Singarathope.
While the reading room offers free admission to the public from 8am to 11am and 5pm to 8.30pm daily (except on Fridays), the adjoining library charges a yearly membership fee of ₹100.
In 1916, prominent city residents Abdul Salam Sahib Rounaq, Khwaja Azeezuddin, Agha J Abdul Rahman, Abdul Azeez, Mohamed Hussain (the then District Educational Officer) and S M M Razvi established the MLS along with the reading room in a corner shop of Allimaal Street.
MLS maintains a secular ethos, with the aim of empowerment through education and social service.
Its past patrons include Syed Murthuza (MLA central), vice-chairman of the Khilafat Movement, P Khalifullah, Diwan of Pudukottai, N M Khwaja Mian, Sir T Desikachariar, Trichinopoly District Board president, and Dr E P Mathuram, former Member of Parliament.
The non-political body has over 600 members today and directs a major part of its funds towards scholarships for needy students, besides social issues.
An archive photograph of the golden jubilee celebrations of Muslim Literary Society (MLS) from 1966 shows MLS president Abdul Wahab Jani Sahib, General Secretary Syed Ghulam Mohamed, with invitees to the event, ‘Quaid-e-Millath’ Mohamed Ismail, DMK leader C N Annadurai, Akaddal Samad, EP Mathuram, leading businessman SA Kader Sahib and MLAs Anbil Dharmalingam and MS Mani. Photo: Special Arrangement
Rare books
MLS stocks its reading room with the latest newspapers and periodicals in English and Tamil, and maintains back copies for up to 3 months.
“We get a wide cross-section of readers from all over the city daily,” says Jafer. “Since it is free, many people in the vicinity enjoy spending long hours poring over the reading material.”
The library has around 6,000 books in Urdu, English and Tamil, many of which would be considered antiquarian treasures today.
Among its tomes are bound copies of The Light , the official newsletter of the Ahmadiya sect in modern-day Pakistan, featuring an article by Mahatma Gandhi in praise of Prophet Muhammad.
Also present is a 1938 edition of the Holy Qur’an translated into English by Indian Muslim civil servant Abdullah Yusuf Ali (1872–1953). This is the third edition of the widely popular work, first published in 1934 by Shaik Muhammad Ashraf Publishers of Lahore, India (later Pakistan), one of the major Islamic publishing houses still in business today.
“Many visitors have pointed out that we should do more to preserve our books, because they represent a slice of our shared history,” says Jafer. “After indexing our collection, we realised that MLS has got a treasure trove of multilingual literature.”
Bigger catalogue
To cater to a younger readership, the library has expanded its catalogue from philosophy, religion, social affairs and fiction to academic texts and learning materials for students.
“Our collection of books on a wide variety of subjects is useful to research scholars,” says neurologist M A Aleem, who also serves as the vice president of MLS. “Since the library and reading room are situated on the ground floor, access is easy for both young and old users. All sections of people are welcome here.”
For more information, call 9842488548.
