Khalleel Mohamed – Writer
By Dhanpaul Narine
Guyana Journal, October 2009
Khalleel Mohamedis the author of two books, “Terror Island” and “A Tapestry of Life”. He was in New York recently to promote them and also to discuss his writings. Khalleel comes from Leguan in Guyana, an area that is rich with the ebb and flow of Guyanese life. Leguan is a picture postcard of an island with its lovely churches and spirals, its stelling, cinema and schools and green fields. Leguan has produced many famous personalities over the years. David Karran, the former Registrar of the University of Guyana is a son of Leguan. Dr. Gary Girdhari, who was head of the Biology Department at the University of Guyana is also from Leguan. Dr. Girdhari at present is editor of the Guyana Journal, a monthly publication that is based in New York.Khalleel grew up with the sights and sounds of Leguan throbbing in his ears. The water, sun and the myriad of personalities with their unique take on life have added a distinctive flavor to Khalleel's writings. It has enabled him to write with a descriptive punch and with details that could only be culled from being close to his community. In 'Terror Island' for instance, he points out that, “soon the water was a boil with action as the crocodiles snatched the meat from the air and fought over it. One very big crocodile saw a very large piece coming down and heaved its huge body out of the water. It came with a thunderous splash that rocked the boat violently, almost capsizing it. Everyone grabbed some part of the boat and held on for dear life.” This is not unusual in rural life.
Khalleel Mohammad was born at Leguan to parents Nur Mohammad and Bibi Hassan Bano. He went to the Canadian Mission School and Maryville Primary School. One of his early influences was Principal J.T. Yaw who was “an intelligent man” and who got on well with his students. In the sixties there was no High School in Leguan and no electricity or running water but there was a love for learning. Khalleel became a teacher having passed his pupil teacher's exam. The next step was to pass his GCE O' Levels and since there was no High School, Khalleel studied privately. It was Gary Girdhari who brought the application forms for Khalleel to sign up for his GCE O' levels.Khalleel passed his O' levels with flying colors. Gary Girdhari was again on hand with useful advice. This time he brought the forms for Khalleel to apply to the University of Guyana (UG). In 1967, Khalleel was accepted to read for his Bachelor's Degree in History at UG. He described his stay at the University as a fantastic experience. It was at UG that Khalleel would meet a scholar who would have a tremendous impact on his life. This person was the famous Guyanese Historian Dr. Robert Moore.
Khalleel found Dr. Moore to be a walking encyclopedia when it came to understanding and interpreting Guyanese history. Khalleel says that, “Dr. Moore was a great teacher. I was in a new world listening to him. He inspired and motivated me.” Khalleel remembers very well his last day on the Bachelor's program. Dr. Moore took him aside and told him to keep writing. “I didn't know that I could write but I was a good storyteller,” Khalleel says.
Another influence on this life at UG was the redoubtable Sister Noel Menezes, the former head of the History Department. Sister Noel was “Queen of the footnotes” and was a legend on campus for her meticulous checking and re-checking of quotes and footnotes. But apart from this Sister Noel was a distinguished scholar in her own right and is widely regarded as an authority on the Amerindians on Guyana. After leaving UG, Khalleel was employed at the National Archives of Guyana.
It was at this time that he thought of leaving Guyana and settling abroad. But such dreams were short-lived. Dr. Robert Moore intervened. He told Khalleel that, “you are not going anywhere. We are planning to open a Master's Degree program in Guyanese History and you will be in the batch of students.” The Master's program had an intake of six students and Khalleel was part of that program. He was lucky to be at the Archives which enabled him to have access to primary source documents.
In 1971, Khalleel went to work at the Ministry of Education. The Minister at the time was Frank Campbell. The seventies was also a time of great interest in the Guyana-Venezuela border dispute. Since Khalleel was researching this for his Master's Degree he was asked to accompany the Minister to explain the border issue to various Caribbean Heads of State. This resulted in Khalleel traveling to Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, Nevis and Montserrat, among others. After a tour of duty at the Ministry of Education, Khalleel joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and worked under Minister Rudy Insanally.
Khalleel migrated to Canada in 1982. The writing bug was still with him. He felt he had so many stories to tell and it would be good to put them on paper. Khalleel believes that a good storyteller should infuse morals and values in his work. He explains, “ I put a lot of morals in these stories. I would like children to read them because they should be taught the outcome of their lives.” In 'Tapestry of Life', Khalleel wanted to reach a wider audience but the stories are tailored for all readers.
Khalleel would like to thank Dr. Robert Moore for his guidance and inspiration. Sr. Noel Menezes remains a bright light for him and Khalleel's sister Nariman was a useful sounding board for his ideas. Tommy Paine, the Archivist, was on hand to encourage Khalleel and would even provide him with time to do research work for his Degree. There is also Dr. Gary Girdhari who kept a watchful eye and did everything possible to help Khalleel realize his goals.
As a parent Khalleel has advice for young people. He says, “Young people should search for whom they really are. They should not try to be somebody else. They should create their own identity. They should develop positive thinking and people will respect them for it.” Khalleel Mohamed is a rich talent that will go on to write more books. His next book will feature the problems in the Middle East, as seen from the perspective of young people. We wish him well in this and other projects.
Editor's note: The article was previously published in The West Indian News, and is reprinted with permission.
Main
Writings
©GuyanaJournal
Review: Tapestry of Life
Review: Terror Island