Autos spread message of life

It was about five months ago that 10 members of the library decided to design posters to spread awareness on female foeticide,suicide and children sending parents to old-age homes. The members have contributed from their own pockets to get the posters printed. “Auto-drivers who would otherwise earn by placing an advertisement on their rickshaw hoods,have volunteered to use these posters without any monetary returns. We already have about 40 rickshawwallahs from Khadki,Wakdewadi,Kondhwa,Shivajinagar,Kothrud,who have volunteered,” Shaikh said.

They began the campaign against female foeticide after the government released the latest child sex ratio of 883 girls for every 1000 boys. “Later,we read about increasing suicide rate,not just among farmers,but also students and policemen. We decided to launch a poster campaign against suicide,” Shaikh said.

This was followed by old-age homes. “We visited a couple of old-age homes in Hadapsar and Kondhwa and felt sorry for their inhabitants. We decided to create posters that will make people aware of what suffering parents go through in bringing up children. The posters will make it their duty to look after them in their old age,” he added.

The three posters can be seen on rickshaws in the city. “I am meeting an officer in the Mantralaya with the request of putting up posters on female foeticide at sonography laboratories and one that spreads the message against suicide in talathi offices frequented by farmers. We want to put up such posters in colleges and police stations also,” Shaikh said. Nisar Ahmed,one of the members of the library,shared his experience of driving around with the posters. “People ask about posters at traffic signals and we tell them about the library. Some even call up Shaikh’s mobile number printed on the posters,” he said.