# Dorjee Khandu

Dorjee Khandu (19 March 1955 – 30 April 2011) was an Indian politician who served as Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh from 2007 until his death in a helicopter crash in April 2011.

## Personal life

Dorjee Khandu was born in Gyangkhar Village in Tawang district, North East Frontier Agency, India to Leki Dorjee.
Dorjee Khandu had four wives, five sons and two daughters. He was a follower of Buddhism and Donyi-Poloism. His eldest son, Pema Khandu, is currently the chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh.

## Career

Dorjee Khandu served in the Indian Army Intelligence Corps for seven years. He was awarded a gold medal for the meritorious service rendered during Bangladesh War. Later, he engaged in social activities concerned with villagers of Tawang District. In 1980, he was elected unopposed as the First ASM and served till 1983.
* 1982: Chairman, Culture and Co-operative Societies.
* 1983–87: Elected unopposed as District Vice President, West Kameng District Zilla Parishad 1983–87.

### Political career

Popularly known as People's Chief Minister, large chunk of modern infrastructure is a product of his policies viz-a-viz. Trans-Arunachal Highway, Green field airport, Railway lines, New State civil secretariat, New Assembly Building etc. He was conferred the Karamveer Award by Arunachal Pradesh Literary Society in 2013 in recognition of his contributions to the state.
In the March 1990 Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assaembly elections, Khandu was elected unopposed to the Legislative Assembly of Arunachal Pradesh from Thingbu-Mukto constituency. He was re-elected to the Legislative Assembly from the same constituency in March 1995 elections. He became the Minister of State for Cooperation on 21 March 1995.
* 21 September 1996, he became the Minister for Animal Husbandry & Veterinary, Dairy Development.
* 1998, he was the Minister for Power from 1998 to 2006.
* October 1999, he was re-elected to the Legislative Assembly. He was the Minister for Mines, Relief & Rehabilitation from 15 October 2002 to 27 July 2003.
* 28 July 2003, he became the Minister for Relief & Rehabilitation and Disaster Management.
* 2004, he was re-elected unopposed from Mukto constituency in the Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly elections and became the minister for Power, NCER, and relief and rehabilitation.

### Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh

On 9 April 2007, he became the sixth Chief Minister of the state, replacing Gegong Apang. Again in 2009, he was elected unopposed from the same constituency and was sworn in as the Chief Minister of the state on 25 October 2009.

## Disappearance and death

On 30 April 2011, the helicopter carrying Khandu and four other people on a trip from Tawang to Itanagar disappeared. On 2 May, the aerial search for Khandu was halted due to inclement weather, necessitating a move to ground search by the Indian Army, police, SSB and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police. Personnel were searching a heavily forested 66 square kilometer section of West Kameng district, where satellites detected possible plane remnants. Witnesses said they heard a large explosion on the morning of 30 April, almost around the same time when the helicopter went missing.
On 4 May 2011, at around 11 am, remnants of the crashed helicopter were found by a group of locals. Although the crash has been blamed on the poor condition of the helicopter, a single engine four seater Eurocopter B8 provided by Pawan Hans, the helicopter was only put into service in 2010.
P Chidambaram, Home Minister of India confirmed the news of the death of Dorjee Khandu on the morning of 5 May. Earlier in a briefing Minister of External Affairs, SM Krishna said he is deeply pained by the demise of Dorjee Khandu.
The last rites of the Chief Minister were performed in his native village, Gyangkhar, in Tawang district as per Monpa Buddhist rituals. His power minister Jarbom Gamlin succeeded him as the Chief Minister, only to resign on 31 October the same year.