Ahmedabad : The Air Force Association (AFA), Gujarat Branch, is organising the Ninth Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon Param Vir Chakra Annual Memorial Lecture on Sunday, 14 December 2025, at Neelambar Auditorium, Headquarters South Western Air Command (HQ SWAC), Gandhinagar. The annual memorial lecture will focus on “Operation Sindoor” and its strategic implications for India’s evolving national security posture. Two senior veteran defence officers will deliver expert lectures on post-operation assessments, strategic takeaways, and India’s shift towards proactive deterrence and denial doctrines.
The date holds profound national significance. On 14 December 1971, Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, PVC, made the supreme sacrifice while defending the Srinagar Airfield against multiple Pakistani F-86 Sabre jets during the 1971 Indo-Pak War, successfully halting enemy advances in Kashmir. To commemorate his unmatched valour, the “Sekhon IAF Marathon 2025” was organised on 2 November 2025 across more than 60 locations nationwide, receiving an overwhelming public response.
The Chief Guest for the event will be Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor, SYSM, PVSM, AVSM, VM, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, HQ SWAC, Gandhinagar. Air Marshal Kapoor was awarded the Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal (SYSM) by the Hon’ble President of India for his visionary leadership during Operation Sindoor, successfully neutralising adversarial threats along the south-western front without any war-related damage within his area of responsibility—an achievement of immense pride for the nation and the state of Gujarat.
The distinguished speakers and lecture themes include:
Lieutenant General Dushyant Singh, PVSM, AVSM (Retd), Director General, Centre for Land Warfare Studies
Topic: “Operation Sindoor – Takeaways and the Way Forward”Air Vice Marshal Anil Golani (Retd), Director General, Centre for Air Power and Strategic Studies
Topic: “Operation Sindoor – Rewriting the India-Pakistan Rule Book”
Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon remains the only Indian Air Force officer to be awarded the Param Vir Chakra, India’s highest wartime gallantry award. He was honoured posthumously for his extraordinary courage, flying skill, and indomitable spirit while engaging enemy aircraft in an unequal aerial combat. His aircraft was eventually shot down, and he attained martyrdom in the line of duty.
Speaking on the occasion, Veteran Air Marshal Desai, PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd), President, Air Force Association Gujarat Branch, said that enduring threats—terrorism, maritime challenges, and border tensions—require exceptional resilience and clarity of national purpose. “This annual memorial lecture is named after Flying Officer Sekhon to inspire public awareness on India’s evolving security doctrine, marked by a shift from reactive responses to proactive deterrence,” he said.
The Air Force Association (AFA) is a registered body of retired Indian Air Force personnel, established by Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh, DFC (Retd). The AFA Gujarat today has over 1.10 lakh members, including more than 8,000 widows. Established in 2007, the AFA Gujarat Branch is managed by ex-Air Force personnel and actively supports veterans and their families across the state through financial assistance, legal aid, and welfare initiatives for widows and children.
