Video- Arunachal Pradesh mourns Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu

State funeral for Dorjee Khandu, tricolour will fly half mast

As a mark of respect to Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Dorjee Khandu who died in a chopper crash near Tawang, all Central government offices in the state will remain closed tomorrow.

The national flag will fly at half mast today and tomorrow in Arunachal Pradesh and in all states and Union territory capitals, including Delhi, a home ministry statement said.

State funeral will be accorded to the late chief minister, whose last rites will be performed tomorrow, it said.

The Union cabinet also condoled the untimely death of Khandu and said a gazette obituary notification will be published tomorrow.

The body of Khandu was recovered today near Lugathang in Arunachal Pradesh, five days after his helicopter went missing while flying from Tawang to Itanagar.

Sikkim CM Chamling condoles death of Arunachal CM

GANGTOK, 05 May [IPR]: The Chief Minister of Sikkim, Pawan Chamling and Mrs. Tika Maya Chamling have condoled the untimely and tragic demise of the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Dorjee Khandu. The Chief Minister has expressed his deep sorrow and anguish on the demise of Dorjee Khandu and has sent a condolence message to the bereaved family on behalf of the people of Sikkim. The Arunachal Chief Minister, it may be recalled, was killed in a helicopter crash in his State

Dorjee Khandu's body airlifted to Tawang

Confirming the death of Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu, Home Minister P Chidambaram today said the state governor has been asked to take “necessary consequential steps”, an indication that a new chief minister will be chosen.

“It is with profound regret and sadness, I have to confirm the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh was killed in an air crash,” Chidambaram told reporters here.

The body has been identified and airlifted to Tawang, the chief minister’s native town.

Arunachal Pradesh Governor J J Singh has been asked to take necessary consequential steps and the Union Cabinet will be meeting in this regard at 11:30 AM, he said.

“The body has been identified by the officials in Lugathang as well as by the family members who were air-lifted to Lugathang... The two bodies (that of Khandu and a woman co-passenger) have been air-lifted to Tawang,” the Home Minister said.

Khandu and four others, including two pilots, who took off in a single—engine EuroCopter B8 of Pawan Hans, were killed in the crash and the bodies and wreckage of the chopper were spotted in a place between Kyela and Lugathang in the mountainous region of the state yesterday. The helicopter went missing on Saturday.

The other occupants of the helicopter were pilots Capt J S Babbar, Capt T S Mamik, Khandu’s security officer Yeshi Choddak and Yeshi Lhamu, sister of Tawant MLA Tsewang Dhondup.

About the other three bodies, Chidambaram said, “The army team is making arrangements to bring the bodies, presumably first to either Kyela or Lugathang and then to Tawang, that will take some time”.

Factfile: Dorjee Khandu

Dorjee Khandu was a leader of the Indian National Congress and the ex-chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh. He became the sixth chief minister of the state on 9 April 2007, replacing the powerful Gegong Apang, who had ruled the state for 23 years. After the victory of his party in the Arunachal Pradesh state assembly elections, 2009 he was sworn in for his second term as the chief minister on 25 October 2009.

Khandu, born in Gyangkhar village in Arunachal was a former army intelligence officer rewarded for his exploits during the Bangladesh war and had turned a social activist before joining politics in 1980.

He was elected unopposed to the Legislative Assembly of Arunachal Pradesh in March 1990 from Mukto constituency. Khandu was re-elected in March 1995 from the same constituency and was given the portfolio of minister of state for cooperation. In 2007, He replaced powerful Apang as the Chief Minister who had ruled the tribal state for 23 years.

Khandu went missing after his Pawan Hans helicopter, which departed from Tawang at 10:56am local time, failed to arrive in Itanagar at its scheduled 11:30am landing time on 30 April 2011.

The other political activities which he served are :

•1983 – 87 : Elected uncontested as District Vice President, West Kameng district Zilla Parishad 1983 – 87.
•1987 – 1990 : Engaged in Intensive Social Works and Brought Water Supply, Electricity, Communication, Schools Religious Institutions etc., to far flung villagers from 1987 to 1990.
•1990 : Elected uncontested to the First Legislative Assembly of the State of Arunachal Pradesh in March, 1990 from Thingbu – Mukto constituency.
•1995 : Re – elected to Second Legislative Assembly of the State of Arunachal Pradesh in March, 1995 from the same constituency. Minister of State for Cooperation from 21.03.1995.
•1996 : Cabinet Minister for Animal Husbandry & Veterinary, Dairy Development from 21 September, 1996.
•1998 : Minister, Power from 2006 – 1998.
•1999 : Elected to Third Legislative Assembly of the State of Arunachal Pradesh in October, 1999.
•2002 : Minister for Mines, Relief & Rehabilitation from 15 October, 2002 to 27 July, 2003.
•2003 : Minister for Relief & Rehabilitation and Disaster Management.
•2004 : Re – elected unopposed from Mukto constituency in 2004 assembly election; Minister, Power, NCER, and relief and rehabilitation

Helicopter Crash site found, Arunachal CM Dorjee Khandu's body identified

ITANAGAR: Family members Wednesday reached the site of the helicopter crash and identified the body of Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu but the other four bodies were mutilated and charred beyond recognition, officials said.

Police said a small group of the chief minister's family, security personnel and local officials touched the site after an arduous four hour trek near Lobotang, 30 km north of the 13,700 feet Sela Pass in Tawang district.

The wreckage had been sighted around 10 a.m. by a group of civilians led by a Village Defence Party (VDP).

"Some family members were able to identify the chief minister's mutilated body. According to information, the four other bodies were badly mutilated and charred almost beyond recognition," the official told IANS.

Efforts are now on to get back the five bodies to the nearest accessible point but this could take close to seven hours.

"It would be an uphill climb, and the terrain is rough and slippery," Kiren Rijiju, adviser to the chief minister, told IANS.

As news of the sighting of the wreckage spread, a pall of gloom descended in the mountainous state.

"This is heartbreaking. We are sad as the chief minister was a visionary and honest politician. His death has shaken us," moaned Bamang Tago, a civil rights campaigner.

The Pawan Hans AS350 B-3 helicopter carrying the chief minister and four others went missing after it took off from Tawang at 9.50 a.m. Saturday.

The last radio contact with the ground was about 20 minutes after take off as it flew over the Sela Pass along the Chinese border.