Sweeper builds library with blood-sweat earnings, thugs set fire

Karnataka, dated 12 April 2021, Monday

In Mysore, Karnataka, rioters have set fire to a library and burnt 11,000 books.

Importantly, the library was built by a cleaner with his own blood and sweat and books. The incident took place on Friday morning. Police say the library contained a large number of Kannada literature books as well as copies of the Bhagwat Gita, the Quran and the Bible.

Syed Ishaq, a 62-year-old cleaner, started the library in 2011. He built books with his hard earned money. Which is why he founded this library. "I created this library to inculcate the habit of reading in children," says Ishaq.

Although police are investigating who started the blaze, people are now reaching out for help after the incident went viral on social media. So far a contribution of Rs. 13 lakhs has been collected so that the library can be rebuilt