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Keralolsavam 2022, a mega carnival programme organised by Malayali Samajam in association with Radio Malayalam 98.6 FM, to welcome the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 had the participation of 1,001 artistes. Indian football legend Dr I M Vijayan did the kick-off in the presence of a large gathering which witnessed the lining up of the flags of the 32 countries participating in the World Cup. Indian ambassador Dr Deepak Mittal, Indian Parliament member A M Arif, Indian Cultural Centre president P N Baburajan and Radio Malayalam CEO Anwar Hussain were the chief guests. President Anand Nair delivered the welcome speech in the presence of secretary Riyas Ahmed, adviser Rajeshwar Govind, Premjith and chairperson Lata Anand Nair. Arif and Dr Vijayan, along with sponsors and Samajam office-bearers presented 'Prathibha Puraskaram' to individuals in their respective areas of achievement. Lifetime Achievement Award for prominent businessman A K Usman, the co-founder of Al Muftah Rent A Car and MES Indian School, was received by his sons, Dr Fuad Usman and Ziyad Usman. The other awards were received by Safirurahman (sports), Supriya Jagadeep (education), K V Abdu Salam (social service), Nabisakutty Abdul Karim (business), Mallika Babu (arts) and Linsha Annie George (health). The programme started with 'Chenda Melam' and concluded with a dance performance by over 500 artistes to a folk song written by Samajam member Vimal Vasudev and sung by the Kanal Nadanpattu Sangam Qatar. More than 100 children presented a football dance under the training of Shafeek XDC. Children's folk dance, Oppana (Munira Basheer), Kerala Natanam (Seema teacher), Mohiniyattam (Kalamandalam Sini), fusion retro (Shamina), kids dance (Loyola International School), semi classical (Lakshana, Swasthi Academy), fusion dances (Skills Development Centre), Seetha Kalyanam (Athira Sunita, Kalakshetra), Naga dance (Devika), semi classical (RLV Seema teacher), Contemporary (Susan Deema), Kathak fusion (Reshma Sreekumar), skating (Johnny, Mindmaster Academy) and Qatar Manjappada's band melam followed. The Samajam programmes started with Kathakali under the leadership of show director Krishnanunni. The items included O N V Kurup's famous poem Amma, depiction of Raja Ravi Varma's drawings, folk songs and dances. The audience danced to the songs of Qatar's famous folk song groups Kanal and Kaithola. Kalakairali Divya teacher arranged steps of the folk song, Thiruvathira and the kids tribal dance. The show associates were popular anchors Arun Pillai Praveen, Manju Manoj, Prema Sarath Chandran, Jayashree Suresh, Aku Akbar and Rajeev Anand. Ayesha Fatima, the rising child anchor, moderated the children's programmes. The Indian Nurses Association (UNIQ) which is associated with Malayali Samajam provided medical support. Mini Benny was the head of about 250 co-ordinators. There were numerous volunteers as well.

Gulf Times layout artist T M Niyas has won the first place in a Malayalam short story competition organised by Indian expatriate organisation Thanima Qatar and Radio Malayalam. Zakeer Hussain won the award in poetry writing and Sherin Shahana in travelogue. The winners were selected from around 200 entries, submitted in the three categories.

Hindi Day 2022 was celebrated by North Indians’ Association Qatar, affiliated to the Indian Cultural Centre (ICC), under the guidance of the Indian embassy. Hindi Diwas or Hindi day is celebrated on September 14. Hindi is spoken by the Indian diaspora across the world. The event was part of the Hindi Pakhwara (fortnight). The main event was a cultural programme paying tribute to the Hindi language, Indian tradition and heritage. Skit, recitations, group dance and solo/group songs were performed. Members' children who performed well in grade X and XII exams in 2020, 2021 and 2022 were honoured. As entrusted by the embassy, NIA organised Qatar inter-school Hindi competitions in essay writing, extempore speech, debate, elocution, slogan writing, poetry recitation and storytelling with the support of three host schools - DPS-Monarch International School, Birla Public School and Loyola International School. Around 200 students from various Indian schools participated. The closing ceremony of Hindi Pakhwara events on September 28 was presided by Swedish ambassador Gautam Bhattacharyya. Indian embassy first secretary (information, education, labour) Sachin Dinkar Shankpal, second secretary (information, culture, education) Kuljeet Singh Arora and principals of host schools - Dr Meenal Bakshi ( (DPS Monarch), Pramod Ranwaka (Loyola) and Harish Sanduja (Birla) graced the occasion. NIA president Rajneesh Shastri, founder chairman and patron Harish Kanjani and managing committee advisory chairman Mukesh Singh also spoke. Various cultural performances by schools such as DPS-Monarch, Birla, Loyola and MES and Ideal Indian school were among the highlights.    

DPS - Modern Indian School principal Asna Nafees presented a copy of the annual magazine 'Grandeur' to Rashid Alamri, director of Private Schools Affairs Department, Office of the Assistant Undersecretary of Private Education, Ministry of Education and Higher Education, recently.     

Indian expatriate organisation Telangana Jagruthi Qatar (TJQ), the Qatar chapter of Telangana Jagruthi, one of the largest NGO based out of Hyderabad, Telangana, celebrated the State Floral Festival, Bathukamma, with grand fanfare at Loyola International School. About 1,500 people from both Telugu speaking south states of India attended. Indian ambassador Dr Deepak Mittal and his wife Dr Alpna Mittal were the chief guests. Telangana Jagruthi founder and member of legislative council Kavitha Kalvakuntla spoke through a video message. Indian community leaders K S Prasad, Vinod Nair, Subramanya Hebbegalu, K Krishna Kumar and Rajani Murthy were the special guests. TJQ president Nandini Abbagouni said that for the event, a special music video was filmed in support of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 at the state-of-the-art stadiums. Social activists Obaid Tahir, Raoof Kondotty and Shankar Goud were feted. Several cultural performances added colour to the event.    

As part of the preparations for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, Doha Municipality conducted an awareness campaign for various Indian organisations' leaders and school co-ordinators recently at the Indian Cultural Centre. Doha Municipality director Mansour Ajraan al-Boeinin and a team of officials made a detailed presentation about new rules framed to ensure public cleanliness.    

Hindi Diwas was celebrated, under the initiative of the Indian embassy and North Indian Association of Qatar (NIA) at Birla Public School from September 14 to 27. Eight Indian schools participated in the competitions in different categories for students of grade III to XII. NIA president Rajnish Shastri inaugurated. Members Chandra Gururani and Shalini Tiwari also spoke. Essay writing and public speaking in Hindi were the main competitions. Academic-director principal Harish Sanduja highlighted the significance of the day and congratulated the participants. Vice principal Rajesh Pillai proposed a vote of thanks.     

Hindi Diwas was celebrated, under the initiative of the Indian embassy and North Indian Association of Qatar (NIA) at Birla Public School from September 14 to 27. Eight Indian schools participated in the competitions in different categories for students of grade III to XII. NIA president Rajnish Shastri inaugurated. Members Chandra Gururani and Shalini Tiwari also spoke. Essay writing and public speaking in Hindi were the main competitions. Academic-director principal Harish Sanduja highlighted the significance of the day and congratulated the participants. Vice principal Rajesh Pillai proposed a vote of thanks.     

Students of Ideal Indian School observed the 153rd birth anniversary of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the father of independent India, as the International Day for Peace and Non-Violence, with an array of events. A special morning assembly was held in all sections. Competitions for classes III and IV were held in speech and slogan writing on the topic of non-violence. A colouring contest was held for classes I and II. A large number of students participated in a peace march. The department of social science organised a special function to commemorate the birth anniversary of Gandhi- the torchbearer of India’s freedom struggle. Songs and speeches on his teachings, tableaux depicting the Boycott Movement and the Dandi March and a PowerPoint presentation on the life of Mahatma Gandhi were presented. Principal Shaik Shamim Saheb in his keynote address urged the students to imbibe Gandhi’s doctrine of truth and non-violence. Adidev Sajith welcomed the gathering and Rajasree proposed a vote of thanks. Deann Menezes anchored the programme.    

Indian Cultural Centre (ICC) Qatar celebrated Gandhi Jayanti on October 2. The programme started with a live quiz on the theme 'Celebrating Bapu'. Shafqat Nabi was the quiz master. Over 150 participants had attended the preliminary written test from which eight top performing teams were selected for the semifinals. The winners were Hussain Abdul Kadhir and Mohammed Aatif, and runner-up Shinj Leela and Swapna Unni. Indian ambassador Dr Deepak Mittal was the chief guest. His wife Dr Alpna Mittal, Indian embassy first secretary Sachin Dinkar Shankpal, defence attache Mohan Atla, ICC president P N Baburajan and other community leaders were present.    

To inculcate the spirit of truth and non-violence of Mahatma Gandhi among children, MES Indian School celebrated Gandhi Jayanthi, the birth anniversary of the great Indian leader and inspiring freedom fighter with traditional fervour and enthusiasm. In the competitions conducted by the Indian Doctors Club, as a part of the Gandhi Jayanthi, celebrations, Haya Shafeeq and Mehreen Hafis secured the second prize in fancy dress and speech contests, respectively, while Albin John was third in essay writing. A special assembly was held by the students. Various literary competitions were held. Students were attired as freedom fighters. In the 'Dress up like Gandhi' – fancy dress contest, students of Grade-I and II spoke about truth and non-violence.    

The classrooms and outdoor areas at Qatar Foundation’s (QF) Tariq Bin Ziad School vibrate with the voices of children playing traditional games and chanting folk melodies taken from Qatar’s heritage – all part of the goal of revitalising folklore and preserving national identity. The school – part of QF’s Pre-University Education - offers the International Baccalaureate programme while promoting national, Arab, and Islamic identity. Maha al-Romaihi, director of the school, explains: “Tariq Bin Ziad School is unique in the sense that it combines cultural values and local heritage with world-class education. "One of the most important things we do in our school is to strengthen national identity through academic content and traditional games, to produce global citizens, but global citizens with a local spirit and a strong national identity." Al-Romaihi observed the school has been working to promote and celebrate the Qatari dialect, as students at private schools, or in QF schools that follow an international curriculum, speak English instead of using Standard Arabic, and this mean students can move away from using the local Qatari dialect. "The Qatari dialect has not disappeared, but it is not used enough,” she said, “so we seek to strengthen it. And we have found that we can do this by integrating it into the curricula and the school community in a thoughtful and systematic manner and using it as an entry point for teaching Arabic. "Through the initiative we launched, the Qatari dialect is strengthened through old traditional games and chants, and national and traditional songs, and we are focusing on encouraging students to use the Qatari dialect during and outside classes, in breaks and after-school activities, to preserve it, cherish it, and teach it to future generations and cherish it.” Al-Romaihi highlighted that during Arabic language classes, teachers link linguistic knowledge and words with their equivalents in the Qatari dialect. The school is also working on designing and preparing an illustrated dictionary of Qatari words that covers different fields. Asmaa al-Beraidi, national curriculum co-ordinator at Tariq Bin Ziad School, said: "We believe that using traditional games is a way of enhancing national identity and preserving the Qatari dialect, in addition to preserving the continuity of traditional games and Qatari heritage." She explained that when introducing to students traditional games such as Al Saba, Al Khabsa, Taq Taq Taqya, Hedo Al Meslsal, the schools aims to ensure they have a role in developing basic skills for students – specifically language, social, physical, and emotional skills. Al-Beraidi pointed out that although the local Qatari dialect may differ in its vocabulary, it is supportive and complementary to the Arabic language, and the linguistic structure is the same. Consequently, when the student uses the Qatari dialect correctly, they will automatically become more skilled in using Standard Arabic.    

Najeeb Kanthapuram, a member of the Kerala legislative assembly from the Perinthalmanna constituency, was recently in Qatar. He was given a reception at MES Indian School. The legislator, who also spearheads an education project named KREA (Knowledge, Resources, Empowerment, Activity), observed that if students have a solid and purposeful dream and focused ambition, nobody can stop them from realising their dreams. KREA project director Sangeeth K enlightened students on the modalities of taking up the civil service examinations. Kanthapuram was also accorded a reception in Doha by the Poonoor Association for Social Services (Pass) Qatar, recently. Kalam Avelam, Shabeer Shamras, C P Shamseer, Haris Pookode, Salim V M, Shafeeq Shamras were present.    

Indian teenager Alan Byju ruled the Filipino Chess Players League (FCPL) Under 20 individual chess tournament recently (September 23) at Uno Café – Doha Souq Mall, besting 50 participants in a 7-Swiss round format. The second and third place winners were Indian expatriates Allen Varghese Tom and Abhyudith Singh, respectively. Nishita topped the female category. Sponsors Uno Café headed by manager Jeanette has plans to hold more chess tournaments featuring Indians, Filipinos, and Turkish communities. Tournament director Rolenson Loyola and FCPL Qatar vice president Rommel Elarcosa thanked all stakeholders and communities.    

Our Kitchen Garden Doha's Organic Agriculture Festival Season 9 was officially inaugurated by Indian ambassador Dr Deepak Mittal at an event at the Birla Public School auditorium. He presented the prizes to Karunya Giridharan, Fathima Nisar, Izzah Zafreen and Anamika Devanand, the winners of the 'Young Farmer Contest'. Mibu Jose, Ashraf Cherakkal and Shamsheer Abdul Rehman, who have made a unique mark in business among Kitchen Garden members, were honoured with the 'Business Excellence Award'. Awards were given to the best farmers in Qatar to inspire organic farmers. Our Kitchen Garden member Dr Serena was given a special award for her contributions in the field of medicine. A food festival was also organised as part of the function. Free seeds were distributed to the participants. The musical band and violin fusion led by playback singer Vivekanand enthralled the gathering. Indian Sports Centre president Dr Mohan Thomas, Indian Cultural Centre vice president Subramanya Hebbagelu and Indian Community Benevolent Forum president Vinod V Nair spoke. Our Kitchen Garden president Benny Thomas welcomed and general secretary Jiji Aravind proposed a vote of thanks.    

Loyola International School (LIS) in association with North Indian Association – Doha (NIA-Doha) organised an inter-school Hindi debate competition under the aegis of the Indian Cultural Centre. The topic was 'India will be a progressive and a developed country by 2047 – a reality or a myth.' More than 35 students from nine Indian schools in Qatar participated. Rajneesh Sashtri was the chief guest and Milan Arun, Minu Parasar and Avneesh Agarwal the guests of honour. LIS principal Promod Kumar Ranwaka spoke.    

The Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB)-Qatar Chapter celebrated the 74th Engineers Day with the theme 'Engineers for Sustainable & Green Planet' recently. Bangladesh ambassador Md Jashim Uddin, was the chief guest. PowerPoint presentations 'Municipal Solid Water Management through Decentralised Composting Facility with Life Cycle Assessment to Mitigate Climate Change' and 'Patient Readmission Prediction for Hamad Hospital' were made by two Bangladeshi academicians. In his remarks, the envoy highlighted the role of engineers in both Bangladesh and Qatar and underscored the importance of green technology in the context of sustainable development. Bangladesh Community Qatar president and IEB-Qatar Chapter president also spoke on the occasion.    

Marathi Toastmasters Club, under District 116, Division B, hosted an open house recently. More than 12 guests attended along with members. Club president Ajaya Rogiye, vice presidents Manjiri Dahale, Ravikreeti Patil, Madhuri Borgave, secretary Usha Patil, treasurer Abhijit Kuwalekar and sergeant-at-arms Vaishali Suresh were present. Toastmaster of the day was Sameer Karmarkar. Chandrasekar Angadi was the keynote speaker. Topic master Sujata Wakhare conducted a table topic session. Ravikumar was the general evaluator.    

Ideal Indian School hosted the 6th Annual Interschool Uswa- E- Rasool Elocution and Recitation competition recently. The topics were 'Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) the teacher of mankind' (for juniors) and 'Islam, the religion of peace and love' (for seniors). Out of the 16 schools that participated, the hosts lifted the overall trophy for the sixth successive year. Khuzaima Kazmi was first in the Holy Qur’an Recitation competition (junior) and Farha Naaz was first in elocution senior category. Hasna Tabassum came second in elocution junior. The elocution competition was judged by Dr Mohammad Maqbool Ahmad (Qatar University), Mueen Azmi and Noreen Shoukat Ali (Al-Qalam Academy, Qatar) while the jury for the Holy Qur’an recitation competition comprised imams and khateebs Shaikh Tahir Ibraheem Ali Al-Ahdal, Qari Abu Bakr Siddiq and Qari Mohammad Merajul Haq Nadwi. In the valedictory function, the chief guest Hafiz Mukhtar conveyed the message of Islam to the audience and lauded the efforts of the students and the Arabic department. School president Dr Hassan Kunhi M P congratulated the winners, students and teachers of participating schools. Principal Shaik Shamim Saheb appreciated the efforts of the students and the teachers. The programme was co-ordinated by junior section vice principal Azam Khan and Arabic department head Dr Ehtesham.    

  United Nurses of India-Qatar (Uniq) organised its second cricket tournament for Indian nurses in Qatar. More than 230 nurses from various healthcare facilities were among the 16 teams participating in the tournament. Barwa Rockers were the winners and Legends QRC, the runner up. Abdul Shaheed was the player of the tournament, Raseel Aman was best batsman and Sahil Basheer, the best bowler. Brave Warriors took home the fair play award. The tournament was inaugurated on September 9 at MIC Sports Complex cricket stadium, Mesaieed, by Indian Sports Centre (ISC) vice-president Sheji Valiyakath and Indian Community Benevolent Forum secretary Sabith Saheer. The quarters, semi-finals, final match and closing ceremony were on September 16. Prizes were given away by the chief guest Indian ambassador Dr Deepak Mittal, ISC president Dr Mohan Thomas, ICC cricket coach Cristopher Raja and Uniq officials. Uniq sports head Nizar Cheruvath presided. Sports wing executive committee member Ajmal Shams said such activities will be continued.