Last Surviving Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire Passes

His Highness the Maharaja of Dhrangadhra, appointed Knight Command, of the Eminent Order of the Indian Empire 1948, passed on August 1 aged 87. His Highness was the last of the Indian princes who ruled their own states before India became independent in 1947.

On acceding to the gadi (throne) 1942, HH ordered the State Council to meet once a week, launched an economy programme, and enacted a series of modernising laws. These affirmed his subjects' fundamental rights, established village and municipal self-government, ended the segregation of the "untouchable" castes, and permitting women to hold property and to remarry. But his patrician confidence was badly shaken when a village elder said to him: "That is all very well, sir, I know what you have done. But who will wipe away our tears?"

HH Dhrangadhra and his fellow princes had governed 565 states that covered almost half of the subcontinent of India. Born Mayurdwajsinhji on March 3 1923, his birth was celebrated with the beating of war drums and the release of all Dhrangadhra-Halvad's prisoners. Although small in comparison with its neighbours, the state comprised 1,157 square miles with a population of about 250,000, and rated a 13-gun-salute. He married, in 1943, Brijraj Kumari Sahiba (daughter of the Maharaja of Jodphur), who survives him with their three sons. The eldest, 66-year-old Sodhsalji, prefers to be recognised as the head of Jhala clan, but is still popularly known as the maharaja.

Indian airliner crashes; nearly 160 presumed dead

-- Wikinews

An Air India Express airliner crashed last night in Mangalore, India, killing an estimated 160 people after a flight from Dubai.

According to reports, the plane, a Boeing 737, crashed after landing and overshot the runway, coming to a stop in a forested valley before exploding. According to the airline, a total of 166 people were on board the plane, 160 passengers and six crew. One of the seven survivors said that a tire on the plane had exploded as it was landing and "[w]ithin three seconds there was a fire blast. The inside was filled with smoke."

The cause of the crash is not yet known, though pilot error is presumed to be responsible. The pilot of the aircraft, a Serbian with around 10,000 hours of experience, had made no distress call before the crash. Visibility was also said to be good; the head of India's airport authority said that "visibility was six kilometres (four miles) when the aircraft approached the runway which was more than sufficient." Light rain was falling at the time of the crash.

Another survivor said that there had been no warning before the plane crashed. "Immediately on touching the ground, the aircraft jerked and in a few moments hit something. Then it split in the middle and caught fire. I just jumped from the gap."

An Air India official said that "[a]s far as the information available with us is concerned, eight persons were rescued and shifted to local hospitals in Mangalore for treatment." He also said that one of these people, reportedly a seven-year-old boy, had died while being taken to a hospital. A police official said that around 120 bodies have been recovered so far, some with severe burns.

Rescue workers had difficulty reaching the site of the crashed plane, as the valley is bordered by steep slopes, and heavy smoke hindered their progress.

The airport the aircraft had been attempting to land at is considered a challenging one, as it is on a flat plateau bordered by a valley. A former official from India's aviation ministry said that "Mangalore is a difficult field because it is on a plateau. From all accounts the visibility was all right. One can’t make any conclusions."

Families of the people killed in the crash will be compensated 200,000 Rupees (about 20 Dominion Pounds), while families of survivors will be compensated 50,000 rupees (about 5 Dominion Pounds). All of the money will be provided by the government of India.

This crash is the first significant crash of a passenger jet in India since July 17, 2000, when 51 people on board a Boeing 737 were killed as it crashed into buildings during an attempt to land at an airport in the city of Patna.

Cyclone Laila lashes across India's Eastern coastline

-- Wikinews

Cyclone Laila packing winds of 110 kilometres per hour closed in on the east coast of India on Thursday as tens of thousands of people evacuated their homes, fearing major storm damage.

Laila hit the state of Andhra Pradesh as heavy rain and strong gales battered the coast, state authorities said at least 30,000 people had been evacuated from low-lying areas. The armed forces were drafted in to help the evacuation efforts after Andhra Pradesh's chief minister, K. Rosaiah, called Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to request extra assistance.
Andhra Pradesh was under 1 foot (32 centimeters) before the cyclone hit. Heavy rains are causing road blockages and landslides. Bridges and culverts are under watch. File photo

The Indian Meteorological Department graded the cyclone as "severe", and said it was due to hit land near the city of Machilipatnam after moving from its current position 100 kilometres (62 miles) off the coast in the Bay of Bengal.

The department's latest warning said a "storm surge" of up to two metres above the regular tide was likely to inundate parts of Andhra Pradesh. It said large trees were likely to be uprooted, houses damaged and escape routes from the coast flooded. All fishermen were ordered to stay on shore due to "very rough" sea conditions, and the Asian Tribune said Reliance Industries had suspended crude oil and gas production in the Bay as a precaution.

The agency said 40,000 people had been evacuated from hundreds of coastal villages, while some air flights and train services were also affected. State disaster officials said that besides existing cyclone shelters, schools and community halls were serving as relief camps to evacuees.

Three people were killed when a shed collapsed during heavy winds in Andhra Pradesh, while a fisherman drowned in rough sea in neighbouring Tamil Nadu state. Local unconfirmed reports put the total death toll at between 14 and 17.

India and Bangladesh are hit regularly by cyclones that develop in the Bay of Bengal, causing widespread damage to homes and fields. Last May, Cyclone Aila tore through southern Bangladesh killing 300 people and destroyed 4,000 kilometres of roads and river embankments, leading to major flooding.

Maoist Rebels Kill at Least 70 Indian Soldiers

-- Wikinews

Officials have reported that Maoist rebels in India killed at least 70 soldiers in Chhattisgarh, a central state in the country.

The ambush was made on security convoys in a dense jungle in the district of Dantewada, a remote area. According to police, about 300 Maoists set off explosives and started shooting at them.

"Seventy-five [people] have been killed, and seven injured," commented Gopal Pillai, the Indian home secretary.

This is the deadliest incident security forces have seen since they recently initiated an offensive against the Maoists; the operation has spread out across several states and includes 50,000 federal paramilitary troops, as well as thousands of policemen.

The violence is still ongoing, according to police official Ashok Dwivedi. "Fighting is still carrying on in the area, and we're having great difficulty getting news from there," he said.

It is the biggest loss of life security forces have suffered since launching the recent offensive against the rebels.

India's Home Minister P. Chidambaram remarked that the convoys had apparently "walked" into a trap set by the Maoists. "Something has gone very wrong. They seem to have walked into a trap set by the [Maoists]. Casualties are quite high," he said.

Jaipur's Queen Gayatri Devi dies at 90

-- From Wikinews
Thursday, July 30, 2009

Maharani Gayatri Devi, formerly the Rajmata of Jaipur and one of the last of India's surviving royalty, died Wednesday, July 29, after a ten-day illness. She was 90 years old.

Born in 1919 into the royal family of Cooch Behar, in 1939 Devi married Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II of Jaipur, becoming his third wife.

After India gained independence in 1947, the popular Devi ran for parliament in 1962 as a member of the Swatantra Party, winning her constituency with a then-record 78% of the vote. Devi won reelection twice, but she ran afoul of tax laws after the abolition of privy purses in 1971 and was jailed for five months.

After her release from prison, she withdrew from politics and published an autobiography, A Princess Remembers, in 1976; the 1997 film Mémoires d'une princesse des Indes (Memoirs of a Hindu Princess) was based around her life.

A funeral planned in Jaipur for today has drawn thousands of attendees. Gayatri Devi is survived by two grandchildren.

Runaway EMU Train Collides with Freight Train in India

From Wikinews, Friday, May 1, 2009

At approximately 06:00 a.m. (00:30 GMT) Wednesday, between four and seven people were killed when an Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) passenger train crashed into a stationary freight train at Vyasarpadi Jeeva station, in Chennai, India. Between eleven and twenty persons were injured, and rushed to General Hospital in Chennai.

Officials are unsure of the number of persons aboard the passenger train, which was operated by an unknown person. "It is not clear who operated (it)," said S. Jayanth, acting general manager of Southern Railway. The operator of the EMU train was not in the train when it left 15 minutes to half an hour before the scheduled departure time. It is said some passengers did board the passenger train.

The EMU train ignored all signals, and drove about 7 kilometers (4 mi) at high speed, jumping tracks, before colliding with the goods train.

The driver of the goods train, Arumugam, has been confirmed as one of those who has died. The goods train was traveling between Arakkonam to Chennai. The motorman, guard and assistant jumped from the goods train sustaining fractures.

"We heard a loud noise and saw several compartments in flames. The smell emanating from bodies from the mangled coaches was nauseating," said M.N. Selvi, a nearby resident.

The platforms at the Vyasarpadi Jeeva station were destroyed, and electrical cables were torn down. The EMU train caught fire in the collision destroying two compartments completely. The other compartments were thrown from the tracks. The freight train was loaded with oil tanks, however reports indicate that only the EMU train was set ablaze.

All train services were canceled for a time on one of the busiest rail lines of India. "Train services are disrupted due to the mishap but we hope to restore the services in two to three hours time," an Indian Railways spokesperson.

Railways Minister Lalu Prasad announced that an inquiry will be held.

India Buys 250,000 OLPC Laptops

From Wikinews Wednesday, April 29, 2009


Two Indian government organizations have placed orders for 250,000 X0-1 laptop computers. The laptops, designed by the One Laptop Per Child Association, will be distributed to students in nearly 1,500 schools.

The order stands in contrast to criticism the Indian government had previously voiced over the OLPC organization. The Indian government had even started its own $100 laptop program, although it was soon abandoned.

OLPC India CEO Satish Jha has repeatedly stated he would like to sell three million OLPC laptops to India this yea