Pushing the habit of reading in rural areas

Warangal: Many people often get struck by great ideas to serve themselves or the society. But very few could put them into practice. Sheik Sadiq Ali aka ‘Topudu Bandi Sadiq’ is among the fortunate few who could put is thoughts into practice for betterment of society. He came up with a pioneering idea of selling books like vegetables or fruits on a Topudu Bandi (pushcart) or dispensing his life-savings in setting up libraries in rural areas he intends to prove something he strongly believed in. That is, the conventional way of book reading is not dead yet.

‘There is no death for libraries, no amount of Kindles (e-readers) or online libraries could do it’, asserts Sadiq Ali, crouched amid a collection of wide variety of books at his office cum stockroom at a quiet residential colony in Hanamkonda while his wife Usha Dayal nods in agreement. ‘People love reading books as they are doing it since ages, I wish to nurture it and also feed my love for books. That is why I have now engaged on a mission of setting up 100 libraries in villages’, he says.

Already 25 libraries have been set up in places like Gangadevipally, Kazipet in Warangal district and others. There are requests from nearly 1000 villages for libraries. They are being established where they are most needed. ‘Each library consists of at least 600 books, two tables and six chairs. If villagers are willing to donate furniture, I will just give away the books they need. Mostly, the libraries are set up at schools and gram panchayat offices. If they need any specific titles I will try to provide them’ At some places local youth organisations and NGOs are coming forward to manage the libraries.

The idea of setting up libraries struck his mind when he found desperate need for books felt by students and elders alike in villages during his Topudu Bandi venture. ‘Everyone who wants to read books should have access to them’ Sadiq Ali says explaining his objective. ‘When there are no mobile phones none felt their need. Now everyone uses it. Similarly I wish to accustom people, mainly students, to read good books and a library at their disposal is what is required to achieve it.’ Sadiq Ali says.

One could find pan shops, liquor shops and its other version ‘belt shops’ but not a bookshop, he rues. Sadiq Ali, with master’s degree in Telugu literature and a successful stint as a journalist with print and electronic media during 1986-95 and afterwards, loves poetry, however, his pushcart has books on personality development, autobiographies, spirituality, children books and many more. A stall during last year’s Hyderabad Book Exhibition with the name Topudu Bandi was a huge success. “I used the money earned there to sell books on pushcart in the streets”, he adds.

Buoyed with the success of Topudu Bandi project, Sadiq Ali now proposes setting 500 pushcarts on the move selling books in the streets of Hyderabad, besides a biggest book store in the state capital. Every district headquarter will also have a pushcart book seller. Another purpose of this is to provide livelihood to unemployed youth. He plans to procure books directly from publishers on discounted rates and distribute them to the youth to sell on pushcarts to make a living. In order to streamline all this work soon Topudu Bandi Foundation will be set up, reveals Ali.

Sadiq Ali has traversed a distance of about 1000 km covering 100 villages in various districts with his Topudu Bandi called ‘Palleku Prematho’. The year-long journey began on Feb 22, 2015 at Uppal in Hyderabad and concluded on Jan 24, 2016 at Public Gardens in Hanamkonda. Married to Usha, a Hindu and his friend since the age of four, Sadiq Ali testifies religious harmony. “We have overcome bondages of religion and caste to live together” they say in unison. The couple has recently celebrated silver jubilee of their marriage.

“Without active support of my wife I don’t believe I can do all this. Being a district level officer (Usha is now a Joint Director, Agriculture Department in Warangal) she used to stand beside me while I sold books on Topudu Bandi” Ali said. The bottom line is that the life ambition of the couple’ is to settle down in Himalayas. Now in their early fifties they wish to donate all their assets to a trust they wish to form after the age of 64 to embark on their spiritual exploration. The couple has already been to Himalayas once. “Though I am a Muslim, I love the Himalayas and Bhagavadgita, both are greatest heritage to every Indian. In the name of religion or any other thing I don’t want to lose the chance of cherishing such legacy,” Ali says.

By James Edwin