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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 Legend to Celebration: The Spirit of Onam

Onam is Kerala’s heartbeat, uniting people across caste, creed, and faith. Rooted in legend yet vibrant today, it reflects the warmth and richness of God’s Own Country.

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Onam, Kerala’s grand harvest festival, is rooted in legend and cherished in tradition. This celebration traces back to the legend of King Mahabali, the Asura ruler loved for his wisdom, compassion, and justice. His reign was a time of abundance and equality, where none went hungry or suffered. Threatened by his growing power, the gods sought Lord Vishnu’s help. Vishnu appeared as Vamana, a Brahmin dwarf, and asked Mahabali for three paces of land. With one step, he spanned the earth; with the next, the skies; and for the third, the noble king offered his head. Vishnu pressed him to the netherworld but granted him the boon of returning once a year. Onam celebrates this homecoming, a remembrance of a golden age of prosperity, harmony, and love.


The Ten Days of Onam

Onam is not a single-day event but a grand ten-day festival, usually falling in the Malayalam month of Chingam (August–September).


This year it is celebrated from Aug 26th to September 5th. Each day has its own significance, rituals, and vibrance.


Atham – The festival begins with the preparation of the pookalam (flower carpet). The first layer is laid on this day, symbolising the arrival of King Mahabali.


Chithira – More flowers are added to the pookalam, making it more elaborate and colourful.


Chodhi – Families start shopping for new clothes and gifts, and the festive mood deepens.


Vishakam – Considered an auspicious day for markets and trade, households begin stocking items for the grand feast.


Anizham – Preparation for the Vallamkali (snake boat race) begins, one of the most exciting spectacles of Onam.


Thriketa – Families gather, and cultural programmes begin.


Moolam – Traditional art forms like Pulikali (tiger dance) and Kathakali performances are held.


Pooradam – Clay pyramids symbolising Mahabali and Vishnu are placed in homes.


Uthradam – Known as the “first Onam”, it is a day of last-minute shopping and festivity.


Thiruvonam – The main day of celebration, when families come together for prayers, feasts, games, and cultural festivities, welcoming Mahabali into their homes.


The Grandeur of Onam Celebrations

1. Pookalam – The Flower Carpets: The pookalam is a striking symbol of Onam. Families craft intricate floral designs at their doorsteps, each day larger and more colourful. The fragrance and symmetry express devotion and joy, while contests in schools and communities add to the festivities.


2. Onam Sadya – The Grand Feast: No Onam is complete without the Onam Sadya, a vegetarian feast served on banana leaves. Often spanning 20–25 dishes—from rice and sambar to pickles, papadam, and payasam—it is more than a meal; it is a sensory celebration of Kerala’s culinary heritage.


3. Vallamkali – Snake Boat Race: The Vallamkali, or snake boat race, is among the most thrilling events of Onam. Long, sleek boats rowed in unison by hundreds of oarsmen cut through Kerala’s backwaters, cheered by thousands. A breathtaking display of teamwork, strength, and unity.


4. Pulikali – The Tiger Dance: Pulikali, literally “play of the tigers”, is a colourful folk art where performers paint themselves as tigers and hunters, dancing to the beats of drums. Streets come alive with laughter and cheers as these dancers entertain the crowd, bringing energy and fun to the festival.


5. Kaikottikali and Cultural Arts: Women gather in circles to perform the graceful Kaikottikali dance, clapping rhythmically in unison. Traditional art forms like Kathakali, Kummatti Kali, and Thiruvathirakali are staged during Onam, keeping Kerala’s cultural heritage alive.


Beyond Kerala

Though rooted in Kerala, Onam is celebrated worldwide. From the Middle East to the US, Singapore to Europe, Malayalis gather to craft pookalams, share sadya, and stage cultural shows. Beyond nostalgia, Onam carries Kerala’s essence across the globe.


The Spirit of Onam

Beyond rituals and legend, Onam celebrates prosperity, unity, and equality. King Mahabali’s memory recalls a time without poverty, when love and justice ruled. Today, Onam urges us to rise above differences and foster harmony.


Onam is also a celebration of nature. Marking the end of the monsoon, Kerala’s harvest festival gives thanks for the land’s bounty. Greenery, blossoms, and fresh crops symbolise abundance and renewal.


Onam is more than a festival – it is a season, a spirit, a feeling. It is families reuniting, flowers in courtyards, children’s laughter, oars in rhythm, the sweetness of payasam, and above all, the hope that goodness returns. Each year, as Mahabali visits his land, Onam recalls the values of equality, generosity, and joy the world so needs. In the petals of the pookalam, the beat of drums, and the warmth of the sadya, Onam reminds us: prosperity is sweetest when shared.


Happy Onam!


(The writer is a tutor based in Thane.)

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