K Sachidanandan

Qatar Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage HE Dr Hamad bin Abdul Aziz al-Kuwari will inaugurate the concluding session of “Qatar Keraleeyam”, a month-long cultural fiesta for Keralites residing in Qatar, organised by the Doha-based Friends Cultural Centre (FCC) as part of its seventh anniversary.
The ceremony, which will be held on Friday at Shantiniketan Indian School in Al Mansoura, will also be attended by Mohammed Ali al-Ghamidi of Qatar Charity, Dr Ali Al Mahmoudi of Qatar University. The meeting is scheduled for a 5.30pm start.
Eminent Malayalam poet Sachidanandan will deliver the key-note address on ‘Malayalee identity and culture’. Novelist K R Meera will also speak at the meeting, which will be followed by a host of cultural and arts programmes. Sachidanandan was among 20 literary figures shortlisted for the Nobel Prize in literature this year. 
At a briefing yesterday, FCC officials said a number of activities were organised as part of the Qatar Keraleeyam. Various contests were held for women and some 1,500 students from various Indian schools participated in an inter-school arts and cultural contest.
Besides, a film festival was also held where some acclaimed works of many noted Malayalam directors were screened.
A media workshop is currently being organised with the objective of educating interested participants on how the media works and nurturing the journalistic skills of the participants. A media seminar, “New Trends in News Making” will mark the conclusion of the workshop, where novelist  K R Meera is attending.
Dr Hamda al-Sulaiti, Director of Evaluation Institute, Supreme Council of Health, will inaugurate a women’s cultural meet tomorrow at Shantiniketan Indian School. K R Meera will deliver the key-note address - ‘Talk of Kerala Women’.
The press conference was attended by Zubair Abdullah, Shamsudeen Olakara, Soman Pookkad, Ramachandran, Rafeek Mecheri, C R Manoj, Unnikrishnan, Faisal Aboobaker, and FCC Executive Director  Habiburahman Kizhissery.