Son of an auto-rickshaw driver from Vizag has fulfilled his dream of becoming a commissioned officer in the Indian Air Force. G Gopinadh has been designated as a Flying Officer in the Indian Air Force (IAF) at the graduation ceremony held at the Air Force Academy at Dundigal in Hyderabad on Saturday.
His father, G Suri Babu, who lives in SIG Nagar in Arilova, has been an auto driver for the past 25 years. Despite the financial difficulties, Suri Babu left no stone unturned to educate his son and help him achieve his dream of joining IAF. His efforts were paid off when G. Gopinadh earned coveted pips of Flying Officer and President’s Commissioning into the IAF at the combined graduation parade.
Gopinadh was asked by his father to do engineering, for which he was ready to take a loan. Still, Gopinadh joined IAF against his father’s wishes because of his dream to join forces like his grandfather, who was a sepoy in the Indian Army. Gopinadh had initially joined IAF as an airman after he did Intermediate from Vizag Defence College. According to The Hindu, he has completed his graduation in Dr V.S. Krishna Government Degree College in Hyderabad and his post-graduation in Andhra University. However, he always wanted to become an officer, and his dream came true when he cleared the Staff Selection Commission examination and became an IAF officer, the only one from the two Telugu states – Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, this year.
“My parents have done a lot for me, and I always wanted to give them back and make them proud,” Gopinadh told The New Indian Express. Gopinadh has a sister who works as a lecturer in a private college. He also told how his father used to sleep late at night and get up early in the morning to have some extra income for their needs. “I had worked hard to give better education to my children, and my efforts have yielded fruits now,” said an elated Suri Babu.
“Dreams come true if you make sincere efforts,” Gopinadh said.
