Harry Sharma has a nose for news, a head for business and a heart for people, qualities which since the 1940's has seen him work as reporter, photographer, office manager, circulation manager and now business consultant in the Express.
His success in newspapering " although not always easy to come by, have given him so much inner satisfaction that Sharma never once regretted giving up the priest hood ( Pundit ) to carve a career for himself in " newspapers ". But the best of times, he said was spent in the Trinidad Express Newspapers - the haven, he says, of the democratic journalism.
And today as the Trinidad Express Newspapers Limited celebrates it's 25th anniversary, Sharma remains one of it's most faithful servants, a man who has seen the birth, the growth and now enjoys the fruits of " The Papers That Cares ".
From a simple correspondent with the Port-Of-Spain Gazette in the 1940's the strong-will Sharma move from the Guardian to the Chronicle to the Daily Mirror a medium of serving his people. He finally found home when the Express came into being in 1967.
Sharma worked for the Port-Of-Spain Gazette from 1940. He later worked with the Guardian and the Chronicle gaining experiences that would serve him in later life.
He remembered at the time being paid between three cents to six cents per line for each story by the Guardian. He received a retainer and was placed in charge of the areas from Claxton Bay to deep South.
Sharma's love for his job and his desire to be effective in his work caused him to move house from Gasparillo to Fraser Street, Penal. He never went on staff at the Guardian because he could not do short- hand.
He later joined the Chronicle and received his first staff appointment. He was made manager of the San Fernando branch.
When the London based Daily Mirror set up camp in Trinidad in 1963, Sharma was offered a staff job which he accepted. Some years later in 1966, the shock of the Mirrors sudden closing sent Sharma in hospital with a " heart attack ".
That action, Sharma felt, threatened " press freedom ".
" It was that threat that gave birth to the Express," Sharma said and today, 25 years later, he still views the Express as the " voice of the people ".
In Retrospect, Sharma who served as the first manager of the San Fernando Branch of the Express believes his greatest achievement was the introduction of his " baby " - the Aid to Common Entrance Students ( A.C.E.S ) .
He recalls that his parents could not afford to pay for special lessons in school and they could not help him with his studies. After he joined the newspapers, Sharma thought of ways to assist the poverty stricken children who had the desire to learn who could not afford special tuition.
He had this idea that newspapers could become the medium to bridge the gap between parents, children and the educational system with the introduction of ( A.C.E.S. ).
His idea found ready acceptance with the managing director Ken Gordon. Many years later that concept grew into the very successful Junior Express. In 1974 Sharma became the Circulation Manager of the company.
Finally, after more than 40 years of very productive work in the media, it was time for Sharma to call it a day. But, the Express realised that Sharma wealth of experience was to " good to be gone ", and he was offered as company consultant which he holds up to today.
Sharma Said although his family was strongly against his idea of joining the media he will do it all over again, if he had a choice.
" Media people are now better equipped educationally to deal with all the technological development. The print media also have more challenges to face and they have to keep abreast with a wide variety of situations ".
" We begin with the concept of the " Paper That Cares ", " and we will continue to be in the vanguard of journalism, " he says grandly.