ROORKEE: The Piran Kaliyar Shrine has lost a devoted follower and the driving force behind its cleanliness campaign, as 65-year-old Mohammad Mobin, affectionately known as Mamu, passed away. He died on Wednesday in Kanpur but was laid to rest at Piran Kaliyar on Thursday, surrounded by a large gathering of mourners.
A Life of Selfless Service
Originally from Kanpur, Mohammad Mobin earned immense respect among locals for his unpaid, selfless service in keeping the shrine area clean. Residents recall that Mamu dedicated his life to cleaning drains around the dargah and personally carrying garbage collected from the shrine premises on his head for disposal. Over the years, his quiet dedication inspired many to join the campaign, gradually turning it into a major community-led cleanliness movement across Kaliyar. The volunteer group associated with him became popularly known as the Mamu Team.
Broad Community Participation
According to local residents, nearly 200 volunteers are associated with the group, including around 40 non-Muslims and more than 50 women, reflecting the campaign's broad social participation and communal harmony. Shah Yawar Aijaz Sabri, a member of the shrine community, said, For Piran Kaliyar Dargah, he was a great social change agent, recalling Mamu's role in transforming public awareness about sanitation and civic responsibility.
The Beginning of a Mission
Mobin's association with Piran Kaliyar Dargah began in 2012 when he arrived with his elder daughter to offer prayers for her recovery from a prolonged illness. During that visit, he met the shrine's then deputy priest, Shammi Miyan. Shah Yawar Aijaz Sabri recounted, My late father told Mobin that his daughter would recover, but asked him what he would do in return for Sabir Baba. Mobin replied that he was willing to do whatever was asked. After returning to Kanpur, his daughter's health improved, and he came back to Kaliyar, asking how he could serve the shrine. His father instructed him to clean the drains around the dargah premises, and from that day onward, he continued tirelessly for the rest of his life.
Family and Legacy
Mobin, a resident of Sachendi village in Kanpur district, is survived by his wife, five daughters, and three sons. Family members said he had traveled to Kanpur earlier this week for a marriage proposal for one of his daughters, where he suffered a heart attack and passed away. His family later brought his body to Kaliyar on Friday for the last rites.
Following his death, his son, Noor Alam alias Shiboo, has pledged to continue his father's cleanliness mission. It is heartening that Shiboo has decided to carry forward his late father's campaign, said Tej Narayan Hari, a 30-year-old resident of Gaya who has been associated with the initiative since 2012. Hari recalled seeing Mobin cleaning drains around the shrine and deciding to join the campaign. The man whom the entire Kaliyar fondly called Mamu built a sanitation and cleanliness volunteer force of nearly 200 people here, he added.
About the Author: Tapan Susheel, an MBA in journalism since 1994, covers reporting for higher education institutions like IIT, CBRI, and NIH at Roorkee.
