In the busy and demanding world of civil service, Monika Singh, the Additional Collector of Solapur, has found a beautiful way to handle stress — through poetry, especially ghazals. She has published three collections of her poems: Seher Ke Khwaab, Lams, and Baat Baki Hai. Her poems reveal a calm, creative side of her personality. In this second part of the interview with Indian Masterminds, Monika Singh shared about her books and love for poetry in detail.
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Monika’s love for poetry began in her school days. She was quiet and kept her writing to herself for a long time. But later, as her job became more stressful, poetry became a way to relax and express emotions. She believes poetry is like a mirror to society and writes about love, spirituality, women’s issues, and social topics.
Her experiences as a civil servant often inspire her poems. The people she meets and the stories she hears show up in her verses. But she’s also careful to keep a balance between her official duties and her writing. She wants her poetry to be thoughtful and responsible.
One special part of her journey is her deep love for the Urdu language. She shared how Urdu grew from local dialects and Persian and how it’s closely connected to Indian culture. To understand the language better, she studied Urdu while working — earning a BA and later an MA. She explains how one word can change meaning with a small difference in spelling — for example, Jaleel means “disgraced”, while Zaleel means “beautiful”.
When she writes ghazals, Monika often starts with just one couplet that sets the tone. She says ghazals are unique because each couplet can hold a complete thought or emotion. She waits for inspiration and never forces herself to write — she lets it happen naturally.
One of her ghazals became very popular online, with millions of views. In it, she encourages people to live freely, without overthinking, and to face their fears. Many of her poems touch on human relationships and society, shaped by what she observes around her.
She takes inspiration from famous poets like Sahir Ludhianvi, Mirza Ghalib, and Faiz Ahmed Faiz. She especially admires Sahir’s poem on the Taj Mahal, which shows how a common person might see it, not just as a monument but as something deeply emotional.
Monika Singh’s life shows how duty and passion can go hand in hand. Through her poetry, she shares wisdom, emotion, and a deep understanding of the world — all while serving the public as a civil servant.
