Mysore/Mysuru: A public library established in 2011 by one Syed Isak at Rajivnagar 2nd Stage was destroyed in a fire in the wee hours of today.
The library, which had over 11,000 books including Holy Scriptures and newspapers of various languages, has been charred.
Syed Isak, the 63-year-old person, who had set up this library in 2011, told Star of Mysore that he lives just 100 ft. away from the library and he was woken up by his neighbours at about 3.40 am, who informed him about the fire. Though he rushed to the library, 95 percent of it was burnt down and his neighbours were seen pouring water to extinguish the fire but in vain.
He said that apart from over 11,000 books, he used to get 18 newspapers in Kannada, English, Urdu and Tamil languages everyday.
He had also kept his awards and other documents in the library which has been burnt, he said.
He alleged that in 2014, the library was destroyed when he was admitted to a hospital following dengue and now the entire library has been burnt down. All the half-burnt books were removed from the spot by the Police in a MCC garbage transporting vehicle, he claimed.
Following a complaint from Syed, Udayagiri Police, who have registered a case, are investigating
SoM misleading the public? The library was burned down by miscreants, likely because the owner was Muslim, that’s what the police are investigating. When radicals start burning libraries down, you know it has gone too far. If this can happen in Mysore, then India will be engulfed in civil-war-ish communal fire soon.
Pro Kannada activists should take up the cause of rebuilding the library and hunt down the bastards who burnt the library. Burning down a library that at the front says ‘Kannadakkagi Kai Yettu’ and is full of Kannada books is a cardinal sin. Hope the police catch them all.
SoM editors cried for Arnab – will you cry for this also?
I am sad to read about the senseless burning of a library. This would have been done by some one who knew the founder and had grudge against him. Police should be able to find the miscreants. Let us hope the police will give the highest priority to find them. In the mean time, we the public should help Syed Isak to build even a better and more equipped library.
Of course it would be impossible to replace those old books which were donated with love and affection. Let us hope that Mysoreans will come forward to help him.
Can SOM help to collect funds like they do some times under these kind of tragic events? It would also be helpful if SOM publishes contact details of Syed Isak.
It was burnt down by miscreants, not an accidental fire… Misreporters…
There is a crowd funding drive to help Syed Isak on Ketto. (Please verify the authenticity of the drive for yourselves). It has collected around Rs 7.5 lakhs of the goal of Rs 10 lakhs. Here is the link.
https://www.ketto.org/fundraiser/SyedLibrary