Students protest lack of facilities at one of Hyderabad’s largest libraries

Electric supply remains suspended for six or more hours, claim protesters

HYDERABAD: Power outages and other missing facilities at Shamsul Ulema Daudpota Library, one of the two largest libraries in Hyderabad, prompted the library-goers to take to the streets on Tuesday. Hundreds of young men and women, who frequent the place located in Qasimabad, blocked the main road by staging a sit-in protest for around two hours.



"We sweat from head to toe and the lack of light makes it difficult to pore over the books but no one [from the management] is concerned," bewailed Abid Hussain Memon while talking to the media during the protest. The protesters claimed that the electricity remained suspended for six or more hours during the library time - from 9am to 9pm.

A few thousand students, mostly the ones preparing for competitive exams besides the college and university students, regularly visit the library. Abdul Aziz Talpur, a student, pointed out the gaps in the security arrangement. "I have often seen students fighting to grab a chair but no one from the management bothers to help them out," he said.

Khalid Soomro, another student, claimed that even clean drinking water was not available. "We have to wait for weeks to get a book that we want to read."

Sher Muhammad Magsi, shift incharge of the library, contended that the library has arranged the required books for the members and students. According to him, a solar system is installed in the library which powers the fans and bulbs during scheduled load-shedding or power outages. He claimed that prolonged outages had cropped up during the last few days which troubled the people.

He tacitly acknowledged the problems relating to the power generator and defunct CCTV system, saying that the authorities were informed in writing to address the matter.



The library was initially established in a hall of Sindh Muslim College, Hyderabad, in 1962. It was shifted to its current building in 1965 and named Sindh Provincial Library Hyderabad. It was renamed after late Dr Umer Bin Muhammad Daudpota in 1971 after the family donated his collection of books and furniture.

It was transferred to the administrative control of the Sindh culture department in 1986. Besides books, newspapers and magazines are also available for reading.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 27^th, 2018.