Most of the things that one requires for the benefit of physical health, like fruits and vegetables are sold on push carts or thela band . What about food for thought? Where does one get the fodder for the brain? That’s what made me think of Topudu bandi which sells poetry. But I am not poet, except for a few poems which I wrote to woo my wife, I didn’t write anything worth to show the world,” says Sheik Sadiq Ali, who did his Masters in Telugu Literature. 52-year-old Sadiq pushes a cart loaded with Telugu poetry books and before he reaches his destination his lunch and nashta invites arrives. “I have a page on Facebook to promote the bandi and to tell about its whereabouts, that’s how my friends know the destination and doesn’t even allow me to decide on the invites. They almost force it on me, leaving no option for me to refuse. They love the fact that I am dong something for our own literature,” Sadiq.
Sadiq was journalist with a few Telugu media and television channels and ultimately settled down after setting up his marriage bureau. “As human beings we always look for a big bang theory. The push cart is my big bang idea to make people come up to the cart out of curiosity,” says Sadiq who pushes the cart himself and says, “when an educated well to do man does something like this everyone will stop by. My interest only lies in popularising Telugu poetry.” Sadiq says they have enough to meet the couple’s need.
Sadiq’s wife Usha wasn’t too pleased with the idea, ‘“ab yeh din bhi dekhna parega?’ she said to me. But now she is happy.” Usha works as the deputy director of agriculture.
When Sadiq halts his pushcart to recite poems, people gather around him. He recites a poem or two and then takes a break. “I don’t want people to buy it for charity and stash the book in their library as collection. So, that the poems are appreciated I read them aloud. Books stores don’t have place for Telugu poetry saying there is no demand. So I am making it available to readers and poetry lovers and I sell close poetry books worth Rs 8000 a day. This proves there are lovers of Telugu poetry.
To track Sadiq’s thela follow him on his facebook page, or follow Topudu bandi on fb.
