MES Alumni Association holds Mohammed Kunhi inter-school elocution contest
Published: 06 May 2025
DOHA: The MES Alumni Association (MESAA), in collaboration with MESAA Toastmasters Club, successfully hosted the third edition of the Libano-Suisse B K Mohammed Kunhi Inter-School Elocution Competition in honour of the late B K Mohammed Kunhi, the visionary principal who led MES Indian School from 1979 to 2001.
The competition, open to students aged 10–17 from across Qatar, featured two formats —Inspirational Speech and Impromptu Speech — across junior and senior categories.
Over 350 students from more than 20 schools applied, with two rounds of screening leading to 40 finalists. The finale was held at MES Indian School – Abu Hamour Branch (MESIS).
In the Inspirational Speech – Senior Category, first place went to Sheza Kabeer of DPS Modern Indian School. Mohammad Aiman Jamil of MES Indian School secured second place and third place was awarded to Aaesha Fathima Basheer, also of MES Indian School.
In the Junior Category, Ishel Mohamed of Doha English Speaking School won first place, followed by Amaya Shibu of Noble International School in second, and Gunika Koul of Doha Modern Indian School in the third place.
In the Impromptu Speech – Junior Category, based on the topic “If you are a character from any story, who would you be and why?”, the winners were Christa Rose Anish of Olive International School (first), Afrah Fathima Nijas of MES Indian School (second), and Swara Thakare of DPS Modern Indian School (third).
For the Senior Category on the topic “It’s important to change because…”, Harsh Thobani of DPS Modern Indian School secured first place, followed by Nandini Devang Pathak (second) and Sheza Kabeer (third), both also from DPS Modern Indian School.
Samra Mahboob, General Secretary of MESAA, opened the ceremony with a warm welcome and introduced a tribute video to the late Sri B.K. Mohammed Kunhi.
Fazil Hameed, President of MESAA, addressed the audience with reflections on Sri Kunhi’s legacy. He recalled how MES Indian School grew from a few hundred students to over 10,000 during his tenure, and emphasized how this event has evolved into a Qatar-wide celebration of student talent and public speaking.
Samiha Sooppi, President of MESAA Toastmasters Club, expressed her sincere appreciation to all participants, parents, judges, volunteers, and alumni who contributed to the success of the event.
Hameeda Kader, Principal of MES Indian School, shared touching memories of working under the leadership of Sri B.K. Mohammed Kunhi. She recalled his dedication to discipline and academic excellence, and expressed pride in seeing his legacy honoured through a platform that empowers student voices.
A moving highlight of the evening was the guest speaker, Ms. Nathania Lela Vipin, an 8th-grade student from Olive International School who lives with cerebral palsy.
A Memento of Gratitude was presented to the Management of MES Indian School for the unparalleled support and guidance provided to MES Alumni Association, which has over 20,000 alumni across the globe.
The contests were chaired by Fawad Kasu, Thauseef Thayyib, Mohammed Akbar Ali, with DTM Rajesh VC serving as the Chief Judge.
Finalists represented 14 schools.
Event Chief Muhammed Safwan C.P. delivered the vote of thanks, acknowledging the generous support of corporate sponsors Libano-Suisse, Lulu Group, Action Coach, Radio Olive Suno Network, Spirit Events, and Panache Advertising.
