Karnataka govt donates 8,243 books to Mysuru man who lost library in fire

On April 30, Karnataka Public Library has in a heartwarming gesture provided over 8,000 books to Syed Ishaq, who on April 9 had lost his own book collection and library in a fire in Mysuru. 

The government of Karnataka has decided to donate nearly 8,243 books to an elderly gentleman in Mysuru whose book collection and the public library was tragically burnt down by miscreants. The State Education Minister S Suresh Kumar confirmed the news on Friday, April 30.

11,000 books destroyed in fire

62-year-old Syed Ishaq's book collection included Kannada copies of religious scriptures such as the Bhagavad Gita, the Bible, Qur'an and over 11,000 other translated works by several famous authors, all meticulously collected by him in Mysuru's Shantinagar area over the last 10 years.

The Education Minister who learned of the news, reportedly sent a proposal to the Kolkata-based Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation apprising the officials of the incident and seeking support for Ishaq's library. The Minister, while speaking to a local news portal on the issue, had opined that the Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation from Kolkata, worked under the aegis of the Union Ministry of Culture and therefore would be able to help Ishaq's cause,' he said.

What happened to the accused?

An FIR under the IPC SEction 436 has been filed in the matter and a probe was underway. The Mysuru City Police, who investigated the matter, on April 17, nabbed a 35-year-old Syed Nasir,  who confessed to his action leading to the fire in Ishaq's

library. 
Mysuru City Police Commissioner Chandragupta explained that Nasir was arrested for carelessly throwing a matchstick after lighting a cigarette which the cops believe led to the outbreak of the fire near the library.

Adding further, the Police also explained that the accused identified as Syed Nasir, returned home next to the library in an 'inebriated state' after a fight with his mother and brothers. He then lit a cigarette before throwing the burning matchstick on the furniture and cushions, that were kept in the open outside a furniture repair shop adjacent to the library. This is what led to the fire which destroyed the library, the police said. CCTV footage was retrieved from the area to corroborate the events and the cops were able to arrest him based on the visuals.

Ishaq, has notably said, that the incident won't deter his spirit and that he 'will not cow down. I will rebuild the library from scratch,' he said.

The Sexagenarian concluded his point saying he was deprived of education and wants to ensure that others don't face a similar plight. 'I want people to learn to read and speak Kannada and will rebuild the library again,' he added.