| Burnt, but not brought back THE NEWS January 4, 2008. Read more |
Noted Scholar and intellectual Mohammad Ibrahim Joyo has demanded that the government rebuild Bhao Dur Muhammad Buriro Public Library in Qamber. Read more |
"SATH HALANDO RAHE" A book in pdf format compiled by bhaoo about the struggle for LIBRARY. download now |
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THE NEWS
January 4, 2008.
Burnt, but not brought back
Where one hand the capital of sindh, Karachi, organized an international book fair, resident of Kamber Town in District Larkana have been deprived of the only public library in the area “Dur Muhammad Buriro”. The Library was set on fire the country-wide violence following the assassination of Mohatarma Benazir Bhutto reducing the reading room (above left) to a wrecked structure (above right). The mob assumed this library (outside view bellow) belonged to the then Government.
By Imtiaz Ali
Retired Government Officer Dur Muhammad Buriro is still in shock. On December 27, 2007, the only public library in Kamber Town was set on fire in the country-wide violence that broke out after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, but more than a year later, it has not been renovated.
“In total, 6,000 books, two air-conditioners, one photocopy machine, one fax machine, 40 chairs, 16 shelves, eight tables and eight ceiling fans among other things were destroyed, says Buriro Library.
Buriro has reason to be better: the Library had been closed for 12 years before Buriro, a former NADRA official, invested Rs. 200,000 of his retired fund for its restoration. To induce youths of the area to visit it, Buriro ensured that the restored library came equipped with a reding room, but now, the people of the area can only mourn the loss of their only library.
A committee comprising DCO Kamber, DPO and Senior Revenue Officer, issued report after the fire, which estimated that the library has suffered three million rupees in damages. Those who visited it, frequentily say they expected the Pakistan People’s Party government to donate books and allocate funds to bring it back to what it once was, but they have been disappointed. They insist that they have approached authorities to restore it several times, but to no avail. A make shift library has been put in place, but it is without a roof, and all costs are borne by philanthropists and other public spirited individual.
“Neither the local nor the provincial government has helped,” complaints Buriro “Students preparing for the CSS examination are extremely disturbed. They cannot afford to go Larkana city”.
The nearest library after Buriro’s is the Shahnawaz Bhutto Library in Larkana city, which charges around Rs. 50to Rs. 100 per visit. By contrast, the public library in Kamber did not cost anything.
“The library was first established by the Kamber municipality around 25 years ago, “Buriro informs Kolachi. “It was later named after senior police officers Fatahyab Mecan, who was killed 23 years ago, it was closed and turned into an office for UC-1 Nazim of Kamber City by the local government.
However, in 2006, the Kamber Council unanimously passed a resolution to hand over the library to the Bhao Dur Muhammad Trust. Buriro approached scholars all over sindh to donate books. An oil company working in the Mazarani oil field near Ghaibi Dero Chandio, hilly areas of Kamber, also donated books that would be useful for CSS examinations in particular.
Once filled with books and other facilities, the library was visited by over 300 people daily. It subscribed to 20 newspapers in English, Urdu and Sindhi, and being free of charge, was especially popular amongst students preparing for their CSS examinations, who had to go no further for any reference material.
In addition to Buriro’s library, the riots that spread through the country in the days following December 27, 2007 claimed the Central Library of the University of Sindh, the library at Sindh Textbook Board, and a private library in Kamber District, destroying thousands of books.
“The mob, which also torched the adjoining PTCL office, revenue office, agriculture bank and UC-1 office, hand mistakenly assumed that the library also belongs to the government, “speculates Burio”.
Buriro was first inspired to establish a library when he became a member of “Gulan Jihra Barira Sangat”, an association working for the intellectual development of children in Sindh. According to Buriro, many of todays noted personalities in Sindh are a product of such associations. He regrets, however, that over the past 14 years, child development has been ignored in Sindh.
“Keeping this vacuum in mind, I revived Gul Phul Barira Sangat around two years ago. So far, 25 units have been established to inculcate a habit of reading among children about literature and society.”
Buriro says that the death of noted intellectual Captain Dr Mohbat Buriro in 1996 prompted him to think about establishing a place where people could come to learn.
“My aim was to establish a library in at least each taluka so, I approached the local governments of Shahdadkot Warah and others.
Wherever he received a positive response, Buriro started putting up libraries.
“I am also approaching educated people of each city to write about the history of the area. “adds Buriro. As a result of his efforts, the book “Kamber: a study” was recently published by the Dr. Mohbat Academy.
His Library in Kamber, however, is still a shadow of what it once was, and to return it to what it used to be, Buriro calls upon the president, the primer minister, chief minister Sindh, MNA Faryal Talpur and all conscientious people of the province to rehabilitate it so every youth in the area can benefit.
January 4, 2008.
Burnt, but not brought back
Where one hand the capital of sindh, Karachi, organized an international book fair, resident of Kamber Town in District Larkana have been deprived of the only public library in the area “Dur Muhammad Buriro”. The Library was set on fire the country-wide violence following the assassination of Mohatarma Benazir Bhutto reducing the reading room (above left) to a wrecked structure (above right). The mob assumed this library (outside view bellow) belonged to the then Government.
By Imtiaz Ali
Retired Government Officer Dur Muhammad Buriro is still in shock. On December 27, 2007, the only public library in Kamber Town was set on fire in the country-wide violence that broke out after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, but more than a year later, it has not been renovated.
“In total, 6,000 books, two air-conditioners, one photocopy machine, one fax machine, 40 chairs, 16 shelves, eight tables and eight ceiling fans among other things were destroyed, says Buriro Library.
Buriro has reason to be better: the Library had been closed for 12 years before Buriro, a former NADRA official, invested Rs. 200,000 of his retired fund for its restoration. To induce youths of the area to visit it, Buriro ensured that the restored library came equipped with a reding room, but now, the people of the area can only mourn the loss of their only library.
A committee comprising DCO Kamber, DPO and Senior Revenue Officer, issued report after the fire, which estimated that the library has suffered three million rupees in damages. Those who visited it, frequentily say they expected the Pakistan People’s Party government to donate books and allocate funds to bring it back to what it once was, but they have been disappointed. They insist that they have approached authorities to restore it several times, but to no avail. A make shift library has been put in place, but it is without a roof, and all costs are borne by philanthropists and other public spirited individual.
“Neither the local nor the provincial government has helped,” complaints Buriro “Students preparing for the CSS examination are extremely disturbed. They cannot afford to go Larkana city”.
The nearest library after Buriro’s is the Shahnawaz Bhutto Library in Larkana city, which charges around Rs. 50to Rs. 100 per visit. By contrast, the public library in Kamber did not cost anything.
“The library was first established by the Kamber municipality around 25 years ago, “Buriro informs Kolachi. “It was later named after senior police officers Fatahyab Mecan, who was killed 23 years ago, it was closed and turned into an office for UC-1 Nazim of Kamber City by the local government.
However, in 2006, the Kamber Council unanimously passed a resolution to hand over the library to the Bhao Dur Muhammad Trust. Buriro approached scholars all over sindh to donate books. An oil company working in the Mazarani oil field near Ghaibi Dero Chandio, hilly areas of Kamber, also donated books that would be useful for CSS examinations in particular.
Once filled with books and other facilities, the library was visited by over 300 people daily. It subscribed to 20 newspapers in English, Urdu and Sindhi, and being free of charge, was especially popular amongst students preparing for their CSS examinations, who had to go no further for any reference material.
In addition to Buriro’s library, the riots that spread through the country in the days following December 27, 2007 claimed the Central Library of the University of Sindh, the library at Sindh Textbook Board, and a private library in Kamber District, destroying thousands of books.
“The mob, which also torched the adjoining PTCL office, revenue office, agriculture bank and UC-1 office, hand mistakenly assumed that the library also belongs to the government, “speculates Burio”.
Buriro was first inspired to establish a library when he became a member of “Gulan Jihra Barira Sangat”, an association working for the intellectual development of children in Sindh. According to Buriro, many of todays noted personalities in Sindh are a product of such associations. He regrets, however, that over the past 14 years, child development has been ignored in Sindh.
“Keeping this vacuum in mind, I revived Gul Phul Barira Sangat around two years ago. So far, 25 units have been established to inculcate a habit of reading among children about literature and society.”
Buriro says that the death of noted intellectual Captain Dr Mohbat Buriro in 1996 prompted him to think about establishing a place where people could come to learn.
“My aim was to establish a library in at least each taluka so, I approached the local governments of Shahdadkot Warah and others.
Wherever he received a positive response, Buriro started putting up libraries.
“I am also approaching educated people of each city to write about the history of the area. “adds Buriro. As a result of his efforts, the book “Kamber: a study” was recently published by the Dr. Mohbat Academy.
His Library in Kamber, however, is still a shadow of what it once was, and to return it to what it used to be, Buriro calls upon the president, the primer minister, chief minister Sindh, MNA Faryal Talpur and all conscientious people of the province to rehabilitate it so every youth in the area can benefit.