rki.news
By Haroon Rashid Qureshi
In a city known for its fast-paced professional life and multicultural community, a unique tradition has quietly continued every Thursday morning in Doha for nearly 30 years. What started as a casual gathering among a few friends in 1997 has today become a symbol of friendship, brotherhood, consistency, and emotional support for dozens of long-time residents in Qatar.
The Thursday Breakfast Gathering, now widely known as the Dynamic Friends Circle (DFC), is not merely a breakfast club. For its members, it represents family, emotional connection, stress relief, and a rare space where titles, professions, and business concerns are left aside.
The Dynamic Friends Circle (DFC), founded in 1997, was established by close friends including Walter Dais, Rocky Fernandez, M.I. Farid, Hassan Lala, M. Palloji, Ghazali Dilawer, and Kamal Madan. Founder members Hassan Chougule, Ganesh Shrinivasan, and K. Satish have since passed away. Their shared vision of friendship and togetherness laid the foundation for the long-running Thursday Breakfast tradition.
Over the years, the group has grown into a respected circle of long-time residents and professionals who value companionship beyond business and social status. Today, the active members include Chairman Harish Kanjani, Syed Abdul Hye, Rajiv Sahni, K. M. Varghese, Chandrasekhar Angadi, Rajesh Singh, David John, Sonny Varghese, Manzoor Moideen, Ravi Shankar, and Abdullah Theruvath. Former members Hassan Lala, Farukh Sardar, P. S. Pai, and Ram Mohan Rai have since left Qatar and returned to their home countries, but they continue to remain connected with the group and its cherished memories.
During a recent Thursday gathering attended by this correspondent, members openly shared their memories, emotions, and personal experiences associated with this long-running tradition.
Founder member Walter Dias recalled how the group was formed almost accidentally after an Indian Embassy function in August 1997. A few friends remained seated together long after the event ended, laughing, joking, and enjoying tea. Realizing how naturally the friendship had developed, one of the friends, K. Satish, invited everyone for breakfast the following Thursday at his office.
Walter shared that Satish’s wife prepared the breakfast while M.I. Farid brought tea in a flask. That first informal breakfast became the beginning of a weekly tradition that would continue for decades.
According to Walter, the early days of the group were built around humor, punctuality, and companionship. Members had to arrive between 7:30 am and 8:15 am. Anyone arriving late would become the “proud breakfast title-holder” and would host the next gathering. Another important rule was that business discussions were strictly prohibited during breakfast hours.
“The idea was simple,” Walter explained. “For 45 minutes every Thursday morning, we forgot work stress, business worries, and outside distractions. We only focused on friendship, laughter, and enjoying each other’s company.”
He said the group initially met in offices and homes before eventually moving gatherings to different restaurants across Doha as the city expanded and members’ lives evolved.
Walter emotionally reflected on the deeper meaning of the group, saying the breakfast tradition had survived because it was built on genuine care and mutual respect rather than professional interests.
“In today’s world, people are connected digitally but emotionally distant. Our breakfast gatherings kept human connection alive,” he said.
Founder member Rocky Fernandez described the group as an extended family rather than a social circle. He explained that through the years, members celebrated successes together and also stood beside one another during difficult times.
“We have laughed together, traveled together, and supported each other during personal hardships,” Rocky said. “Some friends moved abroad, while others sadly passed away, but their memories remain part of every Thursday gathering.”
He added that the strongest feature of DFC is consistency.
“Thirty years is a long time. Many groups start with excitement and disappear after a few months. But this group survived because people genuinely wanted to meet each other every week.”
M.I. Farid, another founder member, explained that the original purpose behind creating the breakfast circle was to escape the pressure of professional life in Qatar.
“Everyone was busy in their careers and responsibilities,” he said. “Thursday breakfast became our stress-relief therapy. We laughed, shared stories, and forgot the pressures of life for a while.”
Farid emphasized that equality has always remained central to the group’s philosophy.
“There is no seniority during breakfast,” he explained. “Everyone sits together equally, regardless of profession, business status, or social standing.”
Farid also revealed that former members now living in India are considering establishing a similar breakfast chapter there so the tradition of friendship can continue internationally.
Current Chairman Harish Kanjani said the group has preserved its values by carefully maintaining membership traditions over the years.
“The group is now more than 30 years old, and we still value discipline, respect, and friendship,” he explained. “The minimum age for joining is 30 because we believe maturity is important for maintaining the spirit of the group.”
He added that every new member must be approved collectively by existing members to ensure harmony within the circle.
David John, who has lived in Qatar since 1991, shared that although he had known about the group for years, he only joined recently after being introduced by Farid and Sonny Varghese.
David admitted that he now feels emotionally attached to the Thursday gatherings.
“If I miss a Thursday breakfast, I genuinely feel upset,” he said with a smile. “I now try my best to remain in Doha every Thursday because the gathering has become part of my life.”
He described the breakfast meetings as refreshing and emotionally uplifting.
“In professional life, people usually meet with an agenda. Here, people meet only for friendship and happiness.”
Sonny Varghese shared a similar experience. He said he initially had no intention of joining because he had never heard about the group before meeting Farid.
“Once I became part of DFC, I realized how much I had been missing,” Sonny said. “Now Thursday mornings are something I always look forward to.”
He explained that membership in the group is intentionally limited because the members want to preserve personal bonding and closeness.
“This is not a networking club,” he emphasized. “It is a circle of trust, comfort, and long-lasting friendship.”
Among the newer members, Manzoor Moideen said he had followed the group’s activities on social media for a long time and quietly hoped to become part of it one day.
“I was shy to ask for membership,” he said with a smile. “But once I joined, I realized this group is truly special. The warmth, respect, and friendship among members make every Thursday memorable.”
As Doha continues to grow and lifestyles become increasingly busy, the members of Dynamic Friends Circle believe their simple Thursday morning tradition offers an important lesson about human relationships, consistency, and emotional well-being.
For nearly three decades, the group has demonstrated that genuine friendship does not require luxury, formal structures, or business interests — only sincerity, trust, and the willingness to make time for one another.