It was three years ago that Hyderabad-based Sadiq Ali realised the need to ensure that books reached people living in every corner of his state. One day, the 53-year old book lover piled hundreds of books on a topudu bandi (pushcart) and set off to sell them at affordable prices to everyone who wanted to read.
By and by, Sadiq’s topudu bandi is so much loved in Hyderabad that he has set up a stall at the ongoing annual book fair here, on demand. Sadiq shares that after selling books in Hyderabad for a few months, he thought that the villagers needed his help much more.
“I believe there are so many people living in the villages who possess amazing intellect, there are some who can surpass the well read ones living in cities. The only thing they lack is exposure, information and facilities. I wanted to do something for them.
in rural Telangana in 100 days,” he said, with a spark in his eyes. Ram Jonnalagadda, a volunteer who sometimes assists him in distributing books, explained that what keeps ‘Sadiq uncle’ going is the love and good wishes of the kids and grown ups in every corner of Telangana.
When disadvantaged kids used to look at the books with eager eyesduring his halts in villages, Sadiq
would always get emotional. “I would give the books for free. I don’t have kids. My wife is a government
employee and I am a former journalist. So we put all our savings into keeping these children happy,”
he shared. Sadiq has also contributed to setting up libraries in over 60 villages. Karnakar, who maintains
one such library in Cheryal village, said, “Sadiq set up a small library in a community hall in our village
and it helps so many people who had never had an opportunity to read so many books before.”
When asked to share a few memories from his journeys with his bandi, Sadiq said, “Once, a woman in her seventies came to my bandi panting. She took out a little amount saying that she had been saving it
for a long time. She asked me to sell her my best books for her paternal and maternal grandchildren. She
described their age and names so affectionately. I was completely moved.”