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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Maulana’s 'gullak' initiative touches 60K students

Read & Lead Foundation President Maulana Abdul Qayyum Mirza with daughter Mariyam Mirza. Mumbai/Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: In the new age controlled by smart-gadgets and social media, an academic from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar has sparked a small, head-turning and successful - ‘savings and reading’ revolution among middle-school children. Launched in 2006, by Maulana Abdul Qayyum Mirza, the humble initiative turns 20 this year and witnessed over 60,000 free savings boxes (gullaks)...

Maulana’s 'gullak' initiative touches 60K students

Read & Lead Foundation President Maulana Abdul Qayyum Mirza with daughter Mariyam Mirza. Mumbai/Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: In the new age controlled by smart-gadgets and social media, an academic from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar has sparked a small, head-turning and successful - ‘savings and reading’ revolution among middle-school children. Launched in 2006, by Maulana Abdul Qayyum Mirza, the humble initiative turns 20 this year and witnessed over 60,000 free savings boxes (gullaks) distributed to Class V-VIII students in 52 government and private schools. “The aim was to inculcate a love for ‘saving and reading’ among young children. We started by presenting small plastic ‘gullaks’ (savings boxes) at the Iqra Boys & Girls High School, and later to many other schools,” Mirza said with a tinge of satisfaction. Scoffed by sceptics, it soon caught the eyes of the schools and parents who loved the idea that kept the kids off mischief, but gave them the joy of quietly slipping Re. 1 or even Rs. 5 save from their daily pocket money into the ‘gullak’. “That tiny ‘gullak’ costing barely Rs 3-Rs 5, becomes almost like their personal tiny bank which they guard fiercely and nobody dares touch it. At the right time they spend the accumulated savings to buy books of their choice – with no questions asked. Isn’t it better than wasting it on toys or sweets or amusement,” chuckled Mirza. A childhood bookworm himself, Mirza, now 50, remembers how he dipped into his school’s ‘Book Box’ to avail books of his choice and read them along with the regular syllabus. “Reading became my passion, not shared by many then or even now… Sadly, in the current era, reading and saving are dying habits. I am trying to revive them for the good of the people and country,” Maulana Mirza told The Perfect Voice. After graduation, Mirza was jobless for sometime, and decided to make his passion as a profession – he took books in a barter deal from the renowned Nagpur philanthropist, Padma Bhushan Maulana Abdul Karim Parekh, lugged them on a bicycle to hawk outside mosques and dargahs. He not only sold the entire stock worth Rs 3000 quickly, but asked astonished Parekh for more – and that set the ball rolling in a big way, ultimately emboldening him to launch the NGO, ‘Read & Lead Foundation’ (2018). “However, despite severe resources and manpower crunch, we try to cater to the maximum number of students, even outside the district,” smiled Mirza. The RLF is also supported by his daughter Mariyam Mirza’s Covid-19 pandemic scheme, ‘Mohalla Library Movement’ that catapulted to global fame, and yesterday (Oct. 20), the BBC telecast a program featuring her. The father-daughter duo urged children to shun mobiles, video-games, television or social media and make ‘books as their best friends’, which would always help in life, as they aim to gift 1-lakh students with ‘gullaks’ in the next couple of years. At varied intervals Mirza organizes small school book fairs where the excited kids troop in, their pockets bulging with their own savings, and they proudly purchase books of their choice in Marathi, English, Hindi or Urdu to satiate their intellectual hunger. Fortunately, the teachers and parents support the kids’ ‘responsible spending’, for they no longer waste hours before screens but attentively flip pages of their favourite books, as Mirza and others solicit support for the cause from UNICEF, UNESCO, and global NGOs/Foundations. RLF’s real-life savers: Readers UNICEF’s Jharkhand District Coordinator and ex-TISS alumnus Abul Hasan Ali is full of gratitude for the ‘gullak’ habit he inculcated years ago, while Naregaon Municipal High School students Lakhan Devdas (Class 6) and Sania Youssef (Class 8) say they happily saved most of their pocket or festival money to splurge on their favourite books...! Zilla Parishad Girls Primary School (Aurangpura) teacher Jyoti Pawar said the RLF has proved to be a “simple, heartwarming yet effective way” to habituate kids to both reading and savings at a tender age, while a parent Krishna Shinde said it has “changed the whole attitude of children”. “We encourage books of general interest only, including inspiring stories of youth icons like Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai (28) and environmentalist Greta Thunberg (23) which fascinates our students, and other popular children’s literature,” smiled Mirza. The Maulana’s RLF, which has opened three dozen libraries in 7 years, acknowledges that every coin dropped into the small savings boxes begins a new chapter – and turns into an investment in knowledge that keeps growing.

Diwali: The Festival That Lights Up Hearts and Homes

Diwali whispers softly, ‘Slow down, light a lamp and let your soul shine a little brighter.’

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Diwali, one of the most popular Hindu festivals, is celebrated with great enthusiasm and fervour across India. The festival, also known as Deepavali, is a five-day celebration that honours the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance.


Story behind Diwali

The story behind Diwali is associated with the Hindu epic, Ramayana. According to the epic, Diwali commemorates the return of Lord Rama, the king of Ayodhya, after a 14-year exile.


After defeating the demon king Ravana, Lord Rama returned to Ayodhya with his wife, Sita, and brother, Lakshmana. The people of Ayodhya welcomed their king by lighting diyas (earthen lamps) and decorating their homes with flowers and rangoli. This joyous occasion is celebrated as Diwali, symbolising the victory of good over evil and light over darkness.


Significance of Diwali

Diwali is a celebration of the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness. The festival has significant spiritual and cultural importance, and its significance can be understood in various ways:


Victory of Good over Evil: Diwali symbolises the victory of good over evil, as Lord Rama defeated the demon king Ravana.


Light over Darkness: The festival celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, symbolising the victory of knowledge and wisdom over ignorance.


New Beginnings: Diwali marks the beginning of a new year in many parts of India, and it is considered an auspicious time for new ventures and endeavours.


Rituals and Traditions: Diwali is celebrated with great enthusiasm and fervour, and the rituals and traditions vary across different regions and cultures. Some of the common practices include:

  • Cleaning and Decorating Homes: Homes are thoroughly cleaned and decorated with diyas, rangoli, and flowers to welcome the goddess Lakshmi.

  • Lighting Diyas: Diyas are lit to dispel darkness and bring light and prosperity into the home.

  • Worshipping Goddess Lakshmi: Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped for wealth, prosperity, and good fortune.

  • Fireworks and Illuminations: Fireworks and illuminations are an integral part of Diwali celebrations, symbolising the triumph of light over darkness.

  • Family Gatherings: Diwali is a time for family gatherings and celebrations, and people come together to share sweets, gifts, and love.


Celebrations across India

Diwali, the festival of lights, celebrates the triumph of good over evil, light over darkness, and knowledge over ignorance. Beyond its rituals and revelry, the festival holds deep spiritual and cultural significance.


But Diwali’s glow isn’t just from lamps and lights — it shines from within. As homes are cleaned and decorated, the act of decluttering becomes symbolic, reflecting a desire to clear not just physical spaces but also mental clutter. Clean surroundings, after all, inspire clean energy and a lighter mind.


Kindness and forgiveness, too, are at the heart of Diwali’s message. Letting go of grudges and old hurts brings a sense of peace that no lamp can match — it is this inner glow that truly lights up lives.


Gratitude and prayer also find a special place during the festival. A thankful heart radiates positive energy, and that quiet joy reflects in one’s face and presence. Even simple self-care rituals — a warm oil bath, an ubtan scrub, the scent of sandalwood, or the comfort of bright festive clothes — help uplift the mood and spirit. Because the real glow of Diwali does not come from makeup or lights but from a heart that feels light.


In a world that often rushes and forgets to pause, Diwali whispers softly, ‘Slow down, light a lamp and let your soul shine a little brighter.’ This Diwali let us not just illuminate our homes but also our thoughts, our words and our actions – so that wherever we go, we leave a little trail of light behind.


Happy Diwali to you!


(The writer is a tutor based in Thane.)

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