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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.

More Than a Teacher: The Timeless Relevance of a Guru

Guru Purnima is not just a celebration—it's a tribute to the profound role a guru plays in our lives.

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Guru Purnima is a sacred and spiritual occasion celebrated across India in honour of gurus—the spiritual guides, mentors, and teachers who illuminate our paths with wisdom and truth. It is observed on the Full Moon Day (Purnima) in the month of Ashada (June-July), which holds immense significance in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. This year it is observed on 10th July.


The word "guru" is derived from Sanskrit—"gu" means darkness, and "ru" means remover. A guru, therefore, is a remover of the darkness of ignorance, leading us towards light and knowledge and from confusion to clarity. It is a belief that on this day, Lord Shiva became the first Guru (Aadi Guru) and imparted the knowledge of yoga to the Saptarishi. It is said that the author of many Vedic texts and the Mahabharata sage, Vyasa, was born on this day. Hence, it is also known as Vyasa Purnima.


In Buddhism, it commemorates the day when Gautam Buddha gave his first sermon at Sarnath after attaining enlightenment. In Jainism, the day is celebrated in remembrance of Lord Mahavira's first disciple, Gautama Swami, receiving initiation.


Transformative presence

A guru does more than teach; they guide, uplift, and transform lives. In a world filled with noise, distractions, and confusion, a guru becomes a light showing the right path when we are lost. Their wisdom, love, and discipline help in shaping our character and purpose, lifting us to higher consciousness.


The presence of the Guru in one's life instills honesty, clarity, courage, humility, compassion, and self-control. Their guidance is not just about external growth but about internal growth too. Their impact goes beyond temples and classrooms, where their presence changes their approach to life.


In ancient times, they held a sacred position, revered next to God. Sadly, in today's modern world, the role of the guru is often underestimated, even taken for granted, especially by children.


The rise of technology and the internet has led young minds to believe that everything is readily available, resulting in a diminishing respect for teachers. They forget that a teacher just does not teach, but they contribute to shaping characters and discipline, transforming lives. Failing to understand and recognise the sacrifices, efforts, and dedication of teachers has led to rising disrespect, disobedience, and a casual attitude towards them, which has become very common. This erosion has to be addressed.

 

Parents’ role

It is the primary responsibility of parents to teach their children this early. A teacher is not just someone who teaches subjects. A teacher imparts the core values of life. It is important to teach them that Google gives answers, but only a teacher gives an understanding.


In a world distracted and lost by shortcuts, the timeless value of a guru must not be faded or lost. A society that forgets to honour a guru walks blindly into the future. Only through conscious parenting and strong cultural grounding can we restore the rightful place of the Guru in young hearts and minds.


Respecting and learning from a guru with humility is considered one of the most sacred relationships in life. Just as a lamp lights up another lamp, a guru ignites the light within us. Having them is like having a lighthouse that guides the ship called Life to sail safely and smoothly through storms.


Not to forget, in the journey of life, our first and forever guru is our mother. Her teachings are beyond books. Her warm presence and love she gives are like a candle of light. This role, which she plays to perfection, is not because she is trained to do so, but because her heart knows no other way. To honour the Guru within our Mother is to recognise the divine guidance that shaped our very being.


Happy Guru Purnima, and may the blessings of the Guru shower on all of us!


(The writer is a tutor based in Thane.)

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