Keeping poetry, literature, and `Shayari’ (Urdu poetry) alive and kicking is more than a passion with the Inspector General of Police Mr. Quaiser Khalid. No, it’s a love-affair which started in his childhood, in his village of Bihar and is now going strong in Maharashtra, where he is posted at present.
Promoting Poetry, Literature and `Shayari’
Mr. Khalid makes no bones of the fact that despite being an IPS officer, his personal interest lies in poetry and `Shayari’. And he has been promoting these creative pursuits with a sense of mission- not only his own work but also of other writers and poets who somehow remain hidden from the public gaze. Two of the poetry and `Shayari’ events conceived by him, ‘Pasban-e-adab’ and ‘Jashn-e-adab’, have become hugely popular. So much so that Mr. Khalid has organised over 100 shows of these two.
Sharing his thoughts with Indian Masterminds, Mr. Khalid said, “For the last 10-15 years, I am very active in organising literature oriented programs. I did this when found real talent has been replaced by mediocrity. I could see this in stage shows where real writers and poets could not make it before the viewers. This was so disheartening. Therefore, get in touch got in touch with a few people who thought the same and we came up with Pasban-e-adab’ and ‘Jashn-e-adab’. This is a small effort in our long journey. The whole idea is to preserve our heritage of poetry and `shayari’, and at the same time and encourage the celebration of Indian art & literature.”
Most of the shows have been held in Mumbai and Delhi. Mr. Khalid is also a motivational speaker and believes that art and creativity were the ways to understand life and its mysteries. At present, he is posted as the Inspector General of Police (Training) in Maharashtra.
The Initial Spark
Mr. Khalid hails from Araria district in Bihar. Till a few years ago, Araria was counted among one of the most backward regions of India. He recalls, “it was a small place, and for all practical purposes, we were virtually cut off from the outside world. Araria did not provide proper exposure to bright students. Being the birth place of Phanishwar Nath Renu, one on the finest novelists of India, was perhaps its only saving grace. His books left a deep mark on me, and I think because of him I too gravitated towards literature.”
Such was Mr. Khalid’s interest in reading, right from his childhood days, that he would devour everything- stories, poems, crime fiction, non-fiction, anything which came in his hands.
A Writer Too
Mr. Khalid is also an accomplished writer. In 2014, the first compilation of his Urdu poetry, ghazals, and nazms titled ‘Shawoore Asr’ was published, for which he was honoured with
the Maharashtra State Urdu Sahitya Academy Award. In the same year, his second book, titled `Dashte Jaan’ was also published. Both his book received widespread appreciation.
