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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.

Yoga for One World, One Health

This year, the theme for International Yoga Day—"Yoga for One World, One "Health"—beautifully reflects what yoga truly stands for: a bridge that connects individuals to themselves, to each other, and the world. In today’s times, when physical and mental health are under so much pressure, yoga offers a universal solution. It brings us back to balance, reminding us that true well-being isn’t just about personal health but about harmony within communities and with nature.

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Yoga is a practice that belongs to everyone, everywhere. And I truly believe that when one person heals through yoga, the ripple effects can touch the world. With that spirit, I’m beginning this article series—“Yoga Transformation Journey”—to share my own experiences, challenges, and learnings and to hopefully inspire others to explore yoga as a path to healing and transformation.


In our fast-paced world, staying physically fit and mentally calm often feels like an impossible task. I’ve been there—caught in the daily chaos, neglecting my body and mind until one day, life forced me to stop and take notice.


In 2005, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, and within a few months, it took over my life. I had severe stiffness in all major joints, and I became nearly immobile. Everyday tasks—walking, climbing stairs, and driving—felt impossible. It was one of the lowest points in my life.


Alongside medical treatments, I began practising yoga—very slowly, very gently. It wasn’t easy. At times, it felt like I was learning how to move all over again. But day by day, breath by breath, yoga helped me heal. It took almost two years, but I gradually regained my mobility. What started as a physical routine slowly unfolded into something much deeper.


Physical Relief to Academic Exploration

In the beginning, yoga was just a tool to ease my pain. But over time, my curiosity grew. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when everything shifted online, I found the time and space to study yoga more seriously. I cleared the yoga teacher, therapist, and examiner exams conducted by the Ministry of AYUSH.


Encouraged by this progress, I enrolled in a master’s in yoga studies during the lockdown, and now I’m pursuing a Ph.D. in the same field. These academic journeys have deepened my understanding and opened new avenues—not just for teaching, but for truly living yoga.


One of the most transformative parts of my journey has been studying Patanjali’s Yogasutras. These ancient teachings are so much more than philosophy—they’re a guide for life.


Patanjali outlines a clear path that moves us from suffering to inner peace, from confusion to clarity, and eventually to liberation (Kaivalya). His four chapters—Samadhi, Sadhana, Vibhuti, and Kaivalya—show how yoga evolves from physical practice to deep spiritual awareness.


Through this lens, yoga becomes a journey not just for the body, but for the soul.


What Yoga Really Means

The word 'yoga' comes from the Sanskrit root 'yuj', meaning ‘to unite’. To me, yoga is the union of my breath, my body, and my awareness. It’s a space where I connect with something bigger than myself.


Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga—the eight-limbed path—is a beautiful map that guides us through:

Yama (social ethics)

Niyama (personal discipline)

Asana (posture)

Pranayama (breath)

Pratyahara (sense withdrawal)

Dharana (focus)

Dhyana (meditation)

Samadhi (absorption)


These limbs are not just steps—they’re companions on the path to self-realisation.

Yoga’s Transformative Power

Today, yoga is my anchor. It’s what keeps me grounded, energised, and inspired. Through regular practice, I’ve gained:

Physical strength and flexibility

Mental peace and clarity

Emotional balance

And most importantly, a sense of purpose


The WHO has already highlighted how chronic stress leads to multiple health problems. Yoga, with its focus on breath, mindfulness, and inner awareness, is one of the best antidotes I’ve ever found.


My life has changed completely—from being a person in pain to someone who now teaches, studies, and lives yoga every day. And if I could walk this path, I truly believe anyone can.


Yoga is so much more than exercise—it’s a way of living. It’s a journey from the outer to the inner, from limitation to liberation. My transformation—from someone struggling with rheumatoid arthritis to becoming a yoga educator and Ph.D. researcher—is living proof of yoga’s healing power.


I invite you to walk with me on this journey. Let’s explore yoga not just for our personal health, but for the health of our families, communities, and our one shared world.


(The writer is a yoga educator and researcher based in Pune.)

1 Comment


Well written. So much to learn!

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