Siraj Anwar/Patna

When Quaiser Khalid took charge as Commissioner of Police (Mumbai Railway) on Thursday, many in Bihar celebrated his elevation, for he hails from Araria district of the state.

Known for his love of Urdu, Khalid has been involved in literary and cultural events for a long time. A poetry lover, Khalid has also organised poetic events in Hindi and Marathi and brought poets from different groups on one stage.

A 1997 batch IPS officer, Khalid held the position of IG (Civil Defence). His new position confers on him huge responsibilities. The department covers a huge area from Palghar on the Gujarat border to Mumbai suburban, extending up to the outskirts of Nashik.

Khalid said that his position entails service and safety of millions of railway passengers and he will carry it out to the best of his ability.

Besides his official work, Khalid has taken upon himself the responsibility of establishing Hindu-Muslim unity. He has authored some dozens of books on Urdu poetry and participated in more than 15 poetic symposiums.

Among the IPS circles, he is known for his love of Urdu. He has authored two books on the compilation of Urdu poetry, which is based on ghazals and nazams. In 2005, Khalid edited and published a compilation of Urdu poetry of famous poet Shad Azimabadi of Bihar.

Khalid’s poetry brings out his emotions.

He has graduated in Urdu from Patna College. He has also bagged the 'Sahitya Akademi Award'. He is the only IPS officer in Maharashtra to receive this coveted award.