• A great honour for a great person

By Iqbal Manna - Team Mangalorean, Qatar

DOHA, October 16, 2009: Mr. M.S. Bukhari a well known Social worker in Doha, has won the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Shiromani Award for 2009 instituted by the Shiromani Institute. With this award he has joined a select band of achievers like Mother Teresa, Dalai Lama, Soli Sorabji, Dr. Kiran Bedi, KPS Gill, Field Marshal Sam Manakshaw, Justice AR Laxman, Pranab Mukherjee, Raj Kapoor, Sharmila Tagore, Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar , MP Mohammed Azharuddin, Jaya Prada and many more.  The award was presented in New Delhi on September 30, 2009.

It is an honour that is conferred only on those rare persons who sideline their personal convictions and take a plunge into their chosen field for common good. In the case of Mr. Bukhari it was social work.  Mr. Bukhari is not only wellknown among Indian expatriate community in Doha, but among all communities.

The Bharat Shiromani Awards were instituted in the year 1977 with a view to focus public attention on the achievements of Indians - residents and non residents, with the purpose of honouring men and women of Indian origin from all over the world as a recognition of their outstanding achievements in their chosen fields. The deserving personalities are chosen on the basis of their comparative merit, high calibre and commitment to national progress and human welfare.

Other than Shiromani Award, Mr. Bukhari, has also been honored with a Bharat Gaurav Award and Certificate of Excellence during a function held at New Delhi on 9th Jan 2008.  He is also the recipient of NRI's Achievers Excellence Award 2009 presented in Mauritius. Being a sportsman, he represented national tennis team in 1979/80 and 1981. Mr. Bukhari is also planning to organize Mega Hockey Carnival and also an NRI summit in December 2009.

Mr. Bukhari, an Indian Business magnate, is the Group General Manager for Satco International, Managing Director of Choice Group Qatar, Director of H. Polybit Trading Limited Qatar and Director of Trans Atlantic Trading INC (USA) is based in Qatar since 1987.  Having no friends when he landed in Doha, the first Indian he met in Qatar was Mr. Syed Abdul Hye, a Mangalorean who extended his friendship and support to Mr. Bukhari during those initial years.  Being very closely associated with the Mangalorean community, Mr. Bukhari never fails to appreciate the Mangalorean community for their generosity, hospitality and helping attitude towards others. 

Being an active social worker since many years, Mr. Bukhairi has always been lending his support to Tulu Koota Qatar, KMCA and Karnataka Sangha for their regular assistance to charitable organizations and for the upliftment of the Indian Community in Qatar.  Mr. Bukhari is an active member of the Indian Cultural Center, Founder member of Ideal Indian School, Life member of Birla Public School, Life member of ICBF, patron of the Indo-Urdu Markaz, Indo Urdu Soceity and active in many other Indian organizations.

About his close association with the Mangalorean community at Qatar, Mr. Bukhari says that the first friend he found in Qatar was a Mangalorean who is now his closest friend and a guide.  Though hailing from Bhopal, Mr Bukhari has been keeping himself close to Mangalorean community through Mangalorean.com, and this site for him has become an additional instrument to form close ties with this community, he says.  He lauded the efforts of Mangalorean.com and extended his thanks to the entire editorial team for their diversity in covering the news.  "I enjoy sitting in front of my PC reading all the updates and activities of Qatar covered in this website", he said. 

Mr. Ravi Shetty, President of Tulu Koota Qatar congratulating Mr Bukhari on receiving this prestigious award says "I have heard only good things about Bukhari Saab specially in social service, humanitarian assistance and other charitable activities. I am sure these special qualities must have contributed in the selection of his name for this prestigious award. May the almighty give him long life and good health for accomplishing more achievement to benefit the underprivileged."

When contacted, his first and best friend Mr. Syed Abdul Hye, who is also the president of Karnataka Muslim Cultural Association, narrating his association with Mr. Bukhari said "Over 2 decades of acquaintance has brought us closer to each other ever since we met. I have known Mr. Suhail Bukhari since he was a young, dynamic and hard-working bachelor. The reasons for his success as a businessman are his foresight, perseverance and his ability to learn quickly from his experience. A ruthless negotiator and daring person with extraordinary entrepreneurial skills, as Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru once said "Success often comes to those who dare and act, but seldom to the timid".