Tulsabai Ramdas Pethe, the eldest member of Austenasia’s population, passed away early this morning aged 86.
The news was announced on social media by The Rt Hon. Ketan Uzagi, Mrs Pethe’s grandson, “with profound grief and sadness”.
Mrs Pethe, born in January 1937, was a resident of Imperia, an Austenasian Crown Dependency situated in central India which has been governed by Mr Uzagi as governing commissioner since its annexation in October 2015. His grandmother was the eldest of the family of five who lived there.
Emperor Jonathan I has conveyed his personal condolences to Mr Uzagi, and declared a period of national mourning to last until the end of June.
The death of Mrs Pethe is only the second time in the still relatively short history of Austenasia that one of our people have passed away, following the death of Taras Oliynyk last year.
Following Hindu tradition, the antyesti funeral and cremation of Tulsabai Pethe took place within 24 hours of her death, late this evening Indian time, and was attended by relatives and neighbours of the Austenasians of Imperia.