Indian community bids farewell to CG Mubarak 

Indian Consul General B.S. Mubarak, who left the Kingdom on Wednesday, said his posting in Jeddah was one of the most memorable of his diplomatic career.
Mubarak, who many in the Indian community have described as down-to-earth, easily accessible, and with a consistent open door policy, said Jeddah was “close to my heart. The moment I was offered the Jeddah posting, I didn’t think of saying no. I could have gone to Geneva or New York, many options were available.
“Many Muslim officers in the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) do not like to come here for many reasons. It could be personal or they have their own career progression in mind. I always thought that if we can’t do something for the community, then what is the point of being in the IFS?
“It was a privilege for me to come to Jeddah. My primary aim was to serve the pilgrims and the Indian community. You have the opportunity to serve the community elsewhere in other countries but when it comes to Haj pilgrims, this is the only place where you can serve them.
“The only thoughts I had was that if I came here, and out of the 170,000 Indian pilgrims who came here every year, if I received the blessings and prayers of even one or two of them, that would enrich my life in this world and in the Hereafter. That was what motivated me.”
Mubarak, who was born in 1973, took up his assignment as the Indian consul general in Jeddah in June 2014. It was a three-year posting, and he still had one full year to go, but had to leave early for one particular reason. “I have been posted out of the country for more than 13 years and (as per the rules that govern IFS diplomats) I have to do a few years in New Delhi to get my next promotion.
“I was the one who pushed the Ministry of External Affairs to let me come to the headquarters (New Delhi) so that I could get my promotion on time. Now that I am going back to the headquarters, it will hopefully make my career progression as smooth as possible. And, if God wills, I’ll come back to this holy land again.”
He praised the good work done by the Saudi India Business Network (SIBN). “We carried out many programs under the SIBN banner and they enriched me. They helped reinforce my association with the best and the brightest in the community. The events conducted by the SIBN helped promote Indo-Saudi business ties.”
Mubarak also praised the role of the Indian Pilgrims Welfare Forum (IPWF) and its many members led by Kader Khan. “These are professionals who, after office hours, help alleviate the problems of pilgrims. They do all this purely on a voluntary basis. This is a very noble task. The IPWF is an amazing forum. I still remember the late Abdul Malik telling me how this forum was instrumental in helping pilgrims who lost money.”
“The scale of the problem has now lessened because of the strict security measures but I remember even when I was Haj consul, thousands of people lost their cash and there was no way to actually assist. It was the IPWF that provided them interim cash and bailed them out. Without them, there is no institutional mechanism. It is a selfless service and all members of the IPWF deserve huge thanks.”
Mubarak was also full of praise for the India Forum for organizing many interesting events, particularly the recently held India Carnival. “Credit must go to India Forum President Aijaz Ahmed Khan who galvanized his team on short notice. Every member of the team gave his best to make the program a great success.”
He said all the three organizations — the India Forum, SIBN and IPWF — have been very close to his heart. “All three enjoy the patronage of the consulate. The community is an extended arm of the embassy and the consulate and the expat community is our country’s greatest asset.”
During his tenure, Mubarak made extensive use of social media sites. “When I came in, there was no Facebook or Twitter account for the consulate. We conducted excellent campaigns on Facebook during Haj. The Community Welfare Section of the consulate was very active in disseminating information through our Facebook page, especially during the Mina crane tragedy and the Haj 2015 stampede.
“We were the primary source of information for so many people who were looking for information during those difficult times. We never tried to sensationalize. There were many media people from abroad who wanted to put words in our mouths but we did not take their bait and only provided authentic, verified and accurate information. We always stood by the Saudi government.”
“We also had crisis management centers in Jazan and Najran and I want to personally thank Consul (Consular) Anand Kumar for making many visits to the two cities to help Indian nationals. Anand Kumar in fact went and camped there. And former colleague, Mohammed Raghib Qureshi, who went there, camped and then brought three or four busloads of people who were eventually evacuated. My special appreciation goes to the members of the community in Jazan and Najran who worked day and night to help their fellow Indians.”
“In addition to the two eventful years in Jeddah, the two years that I spent in Ramallah, Palestine, were a gift from Allah. In my 14 years of service, that was where I was able to interact with the Palestinian community and understand their problems. I had the chance to pray in the Al-Ibrahimi Mosque. I don’t know how many people get this chance, but I was lucky. I went to Al-Aqsa Mosque on several occasions. Jeddah is very special to me for many reasons and one is that my son, Mannan, was born here. My daughter, Manaal, was born in Dubai.”
Haj Consul Mohammed Shahid Alam said that seniority plays an important role in the diplomatic service. “Mubarak Sir was senior to me by 10 years but he never made me feel that he was senior. He always treated me as his younger brother.
“When I came here for the first time, on my first day, as is usual for a diplomat, I wore a suit and tie and I entered his office in Makkah. He was in casual dress, wearing jogging shoes. I felt a little uncomfortable. Looking at me and my discomfort, he said, ‘Haj is all about field work; you have to be on the go at all times.’”
“So that was the first lesson I learned from him on my first day. The most important thing about him is that he understands and feels the pain of people and I saw this with my own eyes when we were managing the crisis during last year’s Haj stampede. Allah will reward him for all that he did in the service of the community and pilgrims.”
At a send-off party at the International Indian School in Jeddah (IISJ), Principal Syed Masood Ahmed said: “We feel very sad at the departure of Mubarak. He has always been a source of strength for us and for the school. We interacted very closely with him. He has had a dynamic and hands-on approach. We used to update him regarding our problems and progress.
“He always extended a helping hand to the school. He is a very down-to-earth person and his simplicity is nothing but a sign of greatness. Whenever I requested anything for the school, he granted it without asking any questions or batting an eye. He was ever ready to help us. We will miss him.”
SourcE: Arab News