Indian social worker dies in Qatar

A veteran Indian social worker, who was known for his voluntary services to expatriates, has died at a hospital in Qatar.

M.V. Abdul Khader Haji, 67, who hailed from Thrissur district in the southern Indian state of Kerala, died at around 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the Hamad General Hospital in Qatar's capital Doha where he had been admitted for the past several weeks, The Peninsula reported Sunday.

People sought his assistance, irrespective of religion and nationality, to complete legal and medical formalities to perform the final rites for the dead.

Several Indian organisations, including the Indian Community Benevolent Forum (ICBF), an organisation under the aegis of the Indian embassy, had honoured the late social worker by conferring on him several awards in recognition of his humanitarian service.

Also known as Hajika, he was conferred the ICBF's Humanitarian Services Award in 2003-2004.

"I worked with Hajika for the past 10 years. He was doing a rare service to the community and there is none to fill the vacuum left by his death. Inspired by his service, ICBF had set up a death case committee, in which he was a member," Nilanghsu Day, chairman of ICBF's advisory committee told the newspaper.

Hajika landed in the country when he was just 20 and started working in a restaurant in Doha.

He later set up an air conditioning repair workshop and had stayed for a long time with his family in Doha.

He leaves behind his wife Zuhra and four children.