IPS Vinay Tiwari is known as a tough police officer of Bhojpur district, Bihar, where he is posted as the Superintendent of Police. However, the same police officer has a soft side to him which not many are aware of. He likes to write poetry in his free time. Through poems, he gives vent to his emotions and feelings whenever he can take some time out from his hectic work schedule.
In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, the 2015-batch Bihar cadre officer talked about his own distinctive style of reciting poetry and also revealed how his poems help him to let out steam.
A MEDIUM TO LET OUT EMOTIONS
The job of a police officer is not easy as it revolves around crimes and criminals. Every day, he witnesses crimes, at times horrific ones! Being around so much negativity is bound to leave one feeling stressed out, low, and empty.
“Through poetry, I give an outlet to my suffering and emotions. I string my feelings into thoughts and ideas and ultimately pen them down. It helps me in relieving my stress and gives me a medium to bring my feelings to the people that I work for,” Mr. Tiwari said.
UNIQUE STYLE OF RECITATION
The officer narrated an incident from a training period two years ago. One day, while he was having lunch with his friends in a restaurant, a friend asked him to recite one of his poems. Mr. Tiwari started reciting it and the friend started recording it on video. The video came out very well and the officer shared it on his social media handle. It received much appreciation from all. This inspired him to record more of his recitations. Most of them were done in his hometown, and there is a reason behind it, too.
“My hometown is a very beautiful place surrounded by lush green fields, mountains, dams, and rivers. It is filled with beautiful corners where my friends and I decided to record videos of me reciting my poetry. All the videos that I have recorded till now have been shot in Lalitpur itself,” the officer said.
The fact that poetry gives him succor in difficult times is proven by his zeal to continue composing them even when he was down with Covid19. In fact, he wrote an entire new poem during his quarantine period. And as soon as he recovered, he went to a nearby river and recorded the poem sitting on the bank.
BALANCING WORK AND PASSION
When it comes to recording his poetry, the officer does it only when he is on leave from work, or he is in his hometown. He believes that his poetic videos come out much better when he is with family and friends, as then he is in a totally relaxed mood.
As for writing, he pens down his words in those times when he gets emotionally drained or feels a rush of emotions go through him.
“It takes real emotions to pen down your words and whenever I feel stressed or depressed, I immediately pick up my pen and notepad and relieve all my anxiety on the paper through the medium of words,” he said.
Even when he is traveling from one place to another and a thought or idea strikes him, he immediately pours it out on his mobile phone and saves it. Poetry doesn’t stop gushing out from his well of creativity even when he is on the move. The policeman in him might take a backseat for some time, but the poet in him is always upfront.
