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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.

From Ganesh’s Blessings to Ancestral Remembrance

Pitru Paksha bridges past and present, binding families and keeping the river of remembrance flowing.

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Soon after Ganesh Chaturthi, Hindus observe Pitru Paksha, a sacred fortnight honouring ancestors. This transition from Ganesh Chaturthi reflects the balance between devotion to deities and reverence for our ancestors. Life is often marked by festivals of joy, but Pitru Paksha calls for reflection. Culminating in the powerful Mahalaya Amavasya, it honours our roots and reminds us that countless lives paved the way for ours.


The origins and meaning of Pitru Paksha

“Pitru” means ancestors, and “Paksha” means fortnight. Falling in the waning moon of Bhadrapada (September–October), it is believed that during these 15 days, ancestral souls descend to receive offerings from their descendants.


Mahalaya Amavasya, the final day, is deemed most auspicious, as all ancestors are believed to accept prayers offered then.


Why do we do this? Because we are the continuation of those before us. Our bodies bear their genes, our homes their memories, and our lives their blessings. To forget them is to forget ourselves.


The Rituals

The key ritual of Pitru Paksha is Shraddha or Tarpana—offering water, sesame seeds, rice, and prayers to departed souls. Each is symbolic: water for purity, sesame for karmic cleansing, rice for nourishment, and feeding crows, cows, or the needy to extend blessings. It is less superstition than gratitude. When we feed the hungry or donate in the name of our ancestors, we are saying, "May the blessings of my forefathers continue as a chain of compassion and sustenance in this world."


The spiritual significance

Pitru Paksha is tied to Pitru Rin—the debt to our ancestors. Hindu thought speaks of three debts: Deva Rin (to divine forces), Rishi Rin (to teachers and sages), and Pitru Rin (to ancestors). Through Shraddha, we repay not with wealth but with remembrance, prayer, and gratitude. Satisfied ancestors are believed to bless us with health, harmony, wisdom, and prosperity; neglect, however, may cause Pitru Dosh—obstacles born of forgotten lineage duties.


Cultural and human essence

Beyond rituals, Mahalaya Amavasya is about gratitude and remembrance. How often do we pause to recall grandparents’ struggles, great-grandparents’ sacrifices, or values passed through generations? In a world rushing forward, Pitru Paksha reminds us: do not forget the roots while reaching for the sky. It bridges past and present, binding families and reminding children their story began long ago with those who toiled, dreamed, and prayed for their descendants.


Psychological and emotional healing

On another level, this period provides emotional healing. Many of us carry unresolved grief—loss of a parent, regret of not expressing love, memories of a loved one taken too soon. Pitra Paksha offers a collective, sacred space to release those emotions.


When we light a diya or offer food, we are not just doing a ritual—we are whispering, “I remember you. You live in me. May you be at peace.” This brings immense inner calm, closure, and strength.


Pitra Paksha Ritual Benefits

Blessings and Protection : Ancestors are believed to bless their descendants with guidance and prosperity. Removal of Obstacles Pitru Dosh is believed to be mitigated.

Inner Peace: Acts of remembrance bring emotional healing. Family Bonding Families come together in shared remembrance.


Charity and Compassion: Feeding the needy reminds us of our responsibility to society.


Passing It to the Next Generation

In today’s age, the task is not to abandon tradition but to reinterpret it. Teach Gratitude, Not Just Rituals: Say: “This is our way of thanking those who gave us life.” Simplify Practice: If full rituals aren’t possible, light a diya, offer water, or donate food—the essence matters.


Storytelling as Legacy: Share grandparents’ stories; children connect better to lived experiences than rites.


Use Analogies: Link it to Memorial Day, Remembrance Day, or Thanksgiving for relatability.


Create Family Rituals: Build a family tree, cook ancestral recipes, or share daily moments of gratitude.


In this way, we keep alive remembrance, respect, and rootedness.


Mahalaya Amavasya is more than a date—it is a philosophy. Life is a chain, not a line; we are continuations of countless lives. Gratitude to ancestors is gratitude to life itself.


In remembering them, we honour ourselves; in feeding others, we share their blessings; in teaching the next generation, we keep remembrance alive. On Mahalaya Amavasya, let us light a lamp, offer a prayer, and feed a hungry soul—not as a ritual, but as a whisper to our ancestors: “You are not forgotten. You live through me, and I pass your light forward.” Pitru Paksha is a time to honour our ancestors and seek blessings for future generations. May our ancestors' souls rest in peace, and may they continue to bless us.

(The writer is a tutor based in Thane.)

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