Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (VP)

Mangaluru, Jul 30: The Mangaluru Press Club held its Press Club Guest of Honour Award ceremony on Tuesday, July 30, at the Press Club, Mangaluru. Sudheer G Amin, retired group captain of the Indian Air Force was conferred the award.

P B Harish Rai welcomed the gathering and stated, "The Mangaluru Press Club issues honorary awards annually to recognize achievers and share their experiences. We also invite students to inspire them and provide an opportunity to interact with the guests. Sudheer G Amin has dedicated 25 years to the Air Force and studied at St Aloysius College before becoming a group captain."

The chief guest, Premanand Salian, senior journalist, remarked, "This program is special to me. I believe journalists should not be advised but allowed to grow. Jaganath Shetty, my teacher, became an amazing writer despite not starting as one. I appreciate the love I have received today. A good journalist should help others grow. In the past, we had to translate and write news from various sources, and our seniors supported us greatly. I learned to read news properly at Mungaru Newspaper, and we were always cautious about our reporting."

Sudheer G Amin, retired group captain of the Indian Air Force, shared his experiences: "When the press club informed me about this event, I felt I was not an achiever but just someone who served. I was born near Moodbidri and completed my education at St Ann's School and St Aloysius College, where I joined the NCC. I spent the first 20 years of my life in Mangaluru. After joining the Air Force, I was commissioned by the Air Marshal. My postings included Guwahati, Arunachal Pradesh, Chennai, and I even went to Russia for training. I was involved in crucial operations, including the transportation of Agni missiles and aid during floods in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. As an instructor and later at the air headquarters communication squad, I had the privilege to work with VIPs like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and APJ Abdul Kalam."

He continued, "There was no room for error, and we had to adhere to strict protocols. I later trained cadets in Bengaluru and served as director of NCC for Gujarat before joining Air India. The crash at Mangaluru Airport in 2010 was a defining moment. In 2023, I started an Aerodynamics Academy to train college students for the aviation industry. Serving in the armed forces requires a strong attitude of service and honesty, though it is less financially rewarding. The Agniveer scheme provides opportunities but lacks pension facilities. Compared to China, we are behind in numbers, but we can give a good fight. The Tejas Aircraft is a great asset, though we lack in-house engine technology."

P B Harish Rai welcomed the guests, and Mohammad Arif delivered the vote of thanks.

The event was attended by Srinivas Nayak Indalje, president of Dakshina Kannada Working Journalists, Ramakrishna R, president of the Press Club Trust, Jaganath Shetty, Ibrahim Adyastala, general secretary of Press Club, Mangaluru, and other notable attendees.