Auto Driver To Poet : The Poetic Odyssey of Khalid in Karimnagar
In the tumultuous throes of the Statehood agitation in 2010, Khalid bore witness to a relentless cycle of police lathi charges against the impassioned throngs clamoring for recognition.
Stirred by the harrowing plight of his fellow citizens, he embarked on a literary journey, channeling their struggles into the written word.
While Mohammad Khalid’s livelihood revolves around navigating the bustling streets as an autorickshaw driver, his true essence transcends the confines of his profession.
Renowned not only for his adept maneuvering through traffic but also for his poignant verses, Khalid’s poetic prowess reflects the myriad encounters woven into the fabric of his daily interactions.
With each fare and fleeting conversation, Khalid meticulously etches the tapestry of human experiences onto the canvas of his poetry.
His debut publication, “Manamantha Okkate,” unveiled in October 2023, stands as a testament to his ability to encapsulate the essence of life’s complexities within 66 poignant poems.
Undeterred by the boundaries of his initial success, Khalid now sets his sights on a new literary endeavor. Buoyed by the reception of his inaugural work, he embarks on the journey towards his next publication, driven by a fervent desire to extend the reach of his words to even greater horizons.
Inspired by the tumultuous events of the Telangana Statehood movement, Khalid embarked on a journey of expression through simple, yet profound, sentences.
Crafting verses that spoke of the struggles of farmers, students, political figures, and societal challenges, Khalid poured his heart into his poetry, despite initial setbacks preventing his work from reaching wider audiences.
It wasn’t until 2014, during a poetry gathering at the Karimnagar Film Bhavan, that Khalid’s words found their stage.
As he recited one of his compositions, the warmth of appreciation mingled with newfound confidence, spurred on by the unexpected spotlight cast upon him through a feature in a local Telugu newspaper.
Born and raised in the humble quarters of Shashab Street, Karimnagar, Khalid’s education journey halted at the tenth grade.
Despite harboring aspirations of donning the uniform of an IPS officer, the harsh reality of financial constraints dashed those dreams.
A failed attempt to join the Police force, due to arbitrary height requirements in 1993, diverted Khalid’s path towards the relentless toil of providing for his family.
In 2001, he acquired an auto-rickshaw, marking the genesis of his journey as a driver.
In conversation with Telangana Today, Khalid reminisced on the poignant catalyst that drove him to wield the pen with purpose.
The year 2010 marked a crescendo of unrest, as police lathi charges battered the spirits of agitators fighting for Telangana’s statehood. Stirred by their strife, Khalid found solace in the written word, seeking refuge from the chaos by pouring his thoughts onto paper.
A chance encounter in 2014, while ferrying a passenger to the Karimnagar Film Bhavan, opened a portal to unexpected opportunity.
Learning of a poetry gathering within, Khalid’s passenger, himself a poet, encouraged Khalid to share his own compositions. With trepidation mingled with determination, Khalid took to the stage, breathing life into his verses before a captive audience.
Since then, Khalid has continued his literary odyssey unabated, with the impending release of his second book poised to further cement his legacy as a poet of the people.
