LONDON MAYOR Sadiq Khan has led tributes to Ramniklal Solanki, a giant of Gujarati journalism and pioneer of British Asian media, who passed away on Sunday (1), after a brief illness. He was 88.
Mr Solanki was in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, when he suffered a stroke last week. He was admitted to hospital and passed away peacefully on Sunday surrounded by his family.
Mr Solanki was the founder and editor-in-chief of Garavi Gujarat newsweekly and Asian Media Group (AMG), which is today Britain’s biggest and most successful Asian media businesses. Among its market leading consumer and business titles are Garavi Gujarat newsweekly, Eastern Eye newspaper, Asian Trader and Pharmacy Business.
Paying tribute, Khan said the contribution of people like “Uncle Ramniklal to the British Asian experience cannot be overstated.”
“When I was growing up, there were publications who would often misrepresent or even erase the voices of people of colour,” Khan said.
“Many of my parents’ generation endured real hardship while carving out their place in our society but the connection and comfort community-led publications offered helped make that journey that little bit easier.”
Home secretary Priti Patel also paid tribute, stating Mr Solanki’s vision, characteristic strength and determination had “empowered and inspired generations”.
Patel added: “He would encourage my determination and work ethic and has said to me on many occasions: ‘If I have to work all hours, I’m happy.’”
Foreign and Commonwealth Office minister Lord Tariq Ahmad described Mr Solanki as “an exceptional human being who put the values of faith family and humanity at the heart of all his work”. He also paid tribute to the “warmth, love and hospitality” of Mr Solanki.
Labour MP Barry Gardiner recalled the first time he met “gracious spirit” Mr Solanki following his election as the Brent North MP in 1997. Meeting at the AMG offices in south London, Mr Solanki shared his lunch with Gardiner and the two became acquainted with one another. “He wanted to get to know me and I realised what a privilege it would be to get to know him,” Gardiner reminisced. “And so, it has proved.”
Gardiner claimed Mr Solanki’s family were his “heart and motive”.
“They are what he is most proud of,” Gardiner said. “They are his inspiration and his joy. And they have returned his love in equal measure to the third generation.”
Lord Jitesh Gadhia called Mr Solanki “a giant figure within the British Asian community”.
The launch of Garavi Gujarat was a “defining moment” for the growing Indian diaspora, the Conservative peer said, providing “an invaluable bridge” between the subcontinent and the UK.
Lord Gadhia added: “The wider community has also lost one of its towering figures, a man universally admired and respected as a true pioneer.”
Mr Solanki’s long and distinguished career in journalism began more than six decades ago when he wrote for local papers in Gujarat and as the London correspondent of Janmabhoomi Group of newspapers headquartered in Mumbai.
But it was his arrival in England in 1964 that set him on the path to building what would become one of country’s most reputable ethnic media publishing houses.
Mr Solanki was urged by the then Indian High Commissioner, Dr Jivraj Mehta, to start a Gujarati newspaper to serve the growing Indian community in Britain. His ambition was to unite and integrate the community and to keep India’s rich cultural heritage and the Gujarati language alive for future generations.
With no financial capital and lacking the technological means to publish such a newspaper, Mr Solanki and his wife Parvatiben launched Garavi Gujarat as a cyclo-styled, black and white newssheet from a small terraced house in Wembley, north London, on April 1, 1968.
Garavi Gujarat publishing house was opened in 1976. The paper rapidly gained a loyal following, soon becoming the biggest-selling Gujarati newspaper outside of India and a focal point for the community.
For more than 50 years, Mr Solanki’s tenacity as a news journalist and his thought-provoking columns won him and the paper many plaudits, and the paper gained a reputation for its fearless, campaigning journalism.
The arrival of Asian immigrants from east Africa a few years later led Mr Solanki to publish stories of families who faced hostility as they adjusted to a new life in Britain. Many of the migrants suffered hardship and Garavi Gujarat highlighted their struggles, with Mr Solanki visiting refugee camps around the country, hearing first-hand accounts of those affected by the political upheaval in Uganda.
In 1972, Garavi Gujarat turned from a fortnightly into a weekly. In subsequent years, Mr Solanki interviewed every British prime minister, from Harold Wilson to Tony Blair.
Today Garavi Gujarat is published in the UK and US and has become the biggest selling Gujarati newspapers outside India.
One of the highlights of Mr Solanki’s career was helping to solve the murder of an Asian woman, Rokaya Bibi, in the 1970s. He became personally involved in helping the police solve this case. In the words of detective superintendent John Swain, who was in charge at the time: ‘One journalist, Ramniklal Solanki did much to publicise this murder in Gujarati newspapers. He kept in close touch with my office, and it was largely as the result of his enthusiasm in this case that it was ultimately solved.’
AMG also publishes Asian Trader and Pharmacy Business, aimed at independent news agents and pharmacists, respectively, in the UK. Its US publications include Asian Hospitality, whose readers are hotel and motel owners and Priya magazine, which features Asian businesswomen.
Its most recent acquisition was the purchase of Eastern Eye newsweekly and the Asian Rich List in 2009.
As the business expanded, AMG also hosted annual events associated with the newspapers and magazines. They include the GG2 Leadership Awards, the Asian Business Awards, Asian Trader Awards, the Vape Awards, the ACTAs (Arts, Culture and Theatre Awards) and Pharmacy Business Awards.
Each ceremony is attended by Secretaries of State, Cabinet ministers and the events attract more than 800 guests. In 2014, then prime minister David Cameron was the chief guest at the GG2 Leadership Awards.
Mr Solanki is survived by his wife Parvatiben, sons Kalpesh and Shailesh, daughter Sadhana and 11 grandchildren. The last rites were performed in Gujarat on Monday morning (2).
Tributes
1. Lord Navnit Dholakia
“As the Editor of Garavi Gujarat, he was a legendary personality who set up the most successful newspaper empire in the United Kingdom. He was tireless and fearless in protecting the Gujarati language as a means of communicating with the Indian diaspora in this adopted homeland.
In his passing we have lost a champion who will go down in history as one of the giants of the Asian community.
2. Salman Amin (Pladis)
“Your father was truly one of a kind! A remarkable human, a thoughtful business leader, a pioneer, a visionary, a family man, and someone who touched and influenced thousands. May he rest in peace!”
3. Nihal Arthanayake
“They say we stand on the shoulders of giants, but your father’s shoulders were as wide as the Himalayas. His warmth, tenacity, intelligence and foresight will not be equalled. I hope that one day I can be one tenth of him. But both your brother and you are testament to his greatness. Sending you all much warmth and blessings from us all.”
4. Karan Bilimoria
“Please accept my heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathies to you and all your family. May God give you the strength to bear up and look ahead. I have known Ramniklal Solanki from the day I started my entrepreneurial journey three decades ago – he has been a constant figure I have looked up to and he was omnipresent with his wonderful smile! I will always appreciate the kindness he showed me.”
5. Kumar Iyer (Chief Economist at the Foreign Office, former Deputy British High Commissioner)
“Your father was a great man who broke boundaries and laid a foundation in this country or people like us. He will be remembered warmly and proudly and will leave a lasting legacy.”
6. Professor Jaspal Kooner
“Dad was a legend of his time and much loved by all family and friends alike. He touched many hearts with his love, gentleness, and lovely trademark smile. He will be greatly missed.”
7. Riz Lateef
“My deepest condolences to you, Kalpesh, Sadhana and the whole family… such a pioneering and inspiring man whose spirit shone brightly.”
8. Seema Malhotra MP
“Our hearts break – what a wonderful and special man he was and loved by so many. I feel so fortunate to have known him and so proud of his legacy. Our love and thoughts with you are all.”
9. Hasu Manek
“Shree Ramniklalbhai was indeed a true pioneer of ethnic media in the UK. It was his pioneering spirit underpinned by the unconditional and endearing love for his mother tongue Gujarati that paved the way for an enduring legacy. You have all made him feel proud.”
10. Amin Mawji
“Ramniklalji was a big figure in our midst and a true pioneer. A role model for us all. He will be very much missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this difficult time.”
11. Yogesh Mehta (CEO of Pickfords)
“A great legend of our times. Celebrate his life and beautiful memories. He has left a good legacy.”
12. Sangita Myska (BBC Reporter)
“He was an incredible man – a credit to you all and the community.”
13. Jay (Jimmy) Patel
“On March 1st in Ahmedabad, the founder of Garavi Gujarat and Asian Media Group passed away. Mr. Ramniklal Solanki was instrumental in helping the Gujarati community earn a voice in print media in the UK and the USA. More importantly to LPS of USA, AMG has played an important part in helping us over the years and providing a voice to our Leuva community. Much of the work from their company was pro-bono and in fact they had published LC magazine for many years. We are all proud to have been able to have had the opportunity to get to know Mr. Solanki and his family and pass our condolences to the Solanki family.”
14. Sir Nilesh Samani
“I was great saddened to hear of the passing away of Shree Ramnikbhai Solanki on 1st March in India. His contribution to British society and in the particular the Asian diaspora has been immense. He has been a doyen of UK publishing through his founding and leadership of the Asian Median Group. His flagship magazine, Garavi Gujarat, has brought knowledge and news to a wide section of the Gujarati Indian community and connected them with their homeland.
“More than his contribution through publishing, Mr Solanki has been a great human being. He has supported many charitable causes both in the UK and in India through the platform provided by the AMG. His dignity and humanity is most recognisable in the attitudes and behaviour of his family who have all followed in his footsteps to make the world a better place. May God receive and provide peace to his soul.”
15. Anant Shah
“Ramniklalbhai was a wonderful man who will be greatly missed by everyone who, like me, had the privilege of knowing him. Yours, in sorrow, Anant.”
16. Dr Mayank Shah (Chairman of the trustees of Swaminarayan Temple, Neasden)
“A sad loss not only to the family but the whole Indian community in the UK. BAPS has lost an old and esteemed friend. What a coincidence, our respective Dads had known each other for such a long time. Today is also my Dad’s death anniversary. Our prayers and thoughts are with you. Om Shanti.”
17. Paul Uppal (Former Member of Parliament)
“Your Dad was always kindly and charming in his demeanour. What a wonderful legacy he bequeathed to you all. You’re in our hearts and prayers.”
18. Keith Vaz
“The passing of Ram Solanki marks the end of an era. A colossus of British Asian journalism, honoured twice by the Queen, he was one of a handful of story tellers of the remarkable progress made by the British Asian Community over the last four decades. The success of his House of Journalism based in south London but with its roots planted firmly in Brent, North London was to chronicle on a daily basis the baby and then giant steps we have made.
As a person he was kind, gentle and affectionate but he was a shrewd, effective and massively successful businessman. Able to walk with Princes and Prime Ministers but never lose the Common touch. I can remember visiting him two days after my election in June 1987, 33 years ago, and his joy that Leicester has elected an Indian origin MP. But it was always family first, community and then country or I should say countries Britain and India. His love of Gujarat was such that it was only right that his last days should be spent there. We will never see his like again. Om Shanti Shanti.”
19. Rumi Verjee
“I was very saddened to receive this sad news about the passing of your beloved father. Your father was a giant of a man. A giant in the community, a giant in the family and a giant example of human dignity, grace and wisdom. We will all miss his amazing presence. I was very proud to have known him in my life.”
20. Nina Wadia and Raiomond Mirza
“Your father made such a huge contribution to so many lives. Nina and I send you and your family our most heartfelt support and wishes for comfort."
21. Rajesh Agarwal
Today is a very sad day for the entire British Asian community. Ramnik Lal Solanki ji was and will always remain an inspiration to me and many other people around the world. He broke the glass ceiling himself & helped and others to do the same. A true legend!
22. Bob Blackman MP
RIP to a great man with a wonderful family. Condolences to his family, friends & employees.
King Charles, wearing a black armband to pay respects to the victims of Air India plane crash, attends the Trooping the Colour parade on his official birthday in London. (Photo: Reuters)
A MINUTE's silence for the victims of the Air India plane crash was observed on Saturday during the Trooping the Colour parade in London marking King Charles's official birthday. Some members of the royal family wore black armbands during the ceremony.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said King Charles, 76, had requested changes to the parade “as a mark of respect for the lives lost, the families in mourning and all the communities affected by this awful tragedy”.
The crash on Thursday involved a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that was taking off from Ahmedabad in eastern India and heading to London's Gatwick Airport. A total of 279 people, including passengers, crew and individuals on the ground, were killed.
Among the victims were 52 Britons. The only survivor identified so far is British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh from Leicester.
Following the disaster, King Charles said in a written statement that he was “desperately shocked by the terrible events” and extended his “deepest possible sympathy”.
Royal family attends parade
Trooping the Colour is a military tradition that dates back over 200 years and marks the monarch's official birthday. The event begins at Buckingham Palace, proceeds down The Mall, and concludes at Horse Guards Parade, where the King receives a royal salute and inspects the troops.
Hundreds of people gathered along The Mall and outside the palace to view the event. A small group of anti-monarchy protesters were present, carrying yellow signs that read “not my king” and “down with the crown”.
King Charles, who continues weekly treatment for an unspecified cancer, was accompanied by Queen Camilla. Also present were Prince William, 42, his wife Catherine, and their children George, 11, Charlotte, 10, and Louis, seven.
No appearance by Harry and Meghan
Catherine, 43, the Princess of Wales, had earlier announced in March 2024 that she had been diagnosed with an unspecified cancer. In January 2025, she said she was “in remission” and has since gradually resumed public engagements.
Prince Harry and his wife Meghan did not attend the event. The couple stepped down from royal duties in 2020 and now live in the United States. Reports in the UK media suggest that relations between Harry and other members of the royal family remain strained, with minimal communication between him and his brother William.
Although Trooping the Colour is held in June, King Charles was born in November. The tradition of a second birthday celebration was introduced in 1748 by King George II to ensure the monarch’s birthday could be marked in better weather.
Saturday's parade coincided with a major military parade in Washington led by US President Donald Trump on his 79th birthday.
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They were all remanded in custody, except Bashir, who absconded before the trial began. (Photo: Greater Manchester Police)
SEVEN men were convicted on Friday in the UK’s latest grooming trial, after a jury heard that two girl victims were forced to have sex “with multiple men on the same day, in filthy flats and on rancid mattresses”.
Jurors at the court in Manchester, northwest England, deliberated for three weeks before finding the seven men, all of whom are of South Asian descent, guilty of rape.
Mohammed Zahid, 64, Mushtaq Ahmed, 67, Kasir Bashir, 50, Mohammed Shahzad, 44, Naheem Akram, 48, Roheez Khan, 39, and Nisar Hussain, 41, will be sentenced at a later date, but judge Jonathan Seely warned that they face “lengthy prison sentences”.
They were all remanded in custody, except Bashir, who absconded before the trial began.
Operation Lytton and police investigation
The men were prosecuted as part of Operation Lytton, an investigation launched by Greater Manchester Police in 2015 into historical child sexual exploitation in Rochdale, a town near Manchester.
The issue has long been seized upon by far-right British figures, including notorious influencer Tommy Robinson, but has also been adopted as a rallying cry by the Conservatives and Nigel Farage’s hard-right Reform UK party.
The issue of grooming gangs received international attention earlier in the year when US tech billionaire Elon Musk launched incendiary attacks on his X platform against the UK government after it resisted calls for a national inquiry.
Over the course of several decades, men of mostly South Asian origin in various English towns are suspected of having sexually abused thousands of mostly white girls from working class families, often from troubled homes.
Court testimony on abuse
Prosecutor Rossano Scamardella said during the trial that the men had abused the two girls for several years from the age of 13 — between 2001 and 2006.
“They were often forced to have oral sex and vaginal sex with multiple men on the same day, in filthy flats and on rancid mattresses,” he said.
“On other occasions they would be required to have sex in cars, car parks, alleyways or disused warehouses. Wherever and whenever these men wanted it.
“They were children passed around for sex; abused, degraded and then discarded,” he added.
One of the alleged victims was also “being exploited and abused by many other Asian men” not in the dock, said Scamardella.
Police response and apology
Following the verdicts, detective superintendent Alan Clitherow, of Greater Manchester Police, apologised for not acting earlier.
“There was information at the time that police and other agencies could, and should, have done something with, and we didn’t,” he said.
“The way those victims were dealt with at the time is indefensible and inexcusable. We have made comprehensive apologies for that.”
(With inputs from agencies)
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Karun Thakar is a leading textile collector with a lifelong focus on Asian and African textiles
THE KARUN THAKAR FUND, established by textile collector Karun Thakar in collaboration with the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), supports the study of Asian and African textiles and dress through scholarships and project grants.
The fund offers one-time Scholarship Awards of up to £10,000 for university students worldwide focusing on any aspect of Asian or African textiles and dress. Undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate students from any accredited university are eligible, provided their research or practice is clearly linked to these areas. The next round of Scholarship Award applications opens on 1 May 2025 and closes at 23:59 on July 15, 2025.
Karun Thakar is a leading textile collector with a lifelong focus on Asian and African textiles. He began collecting in the early 1980s and has built an extensive private collection ranging from 14th-century Indian trade cloths to West African loom weavings.
“From July 2021, The Karun Thakar Fund will offer scholarships to student practitioners and researchers studying any aspect of Asian or African textile/dress design or history,” the fund states. “Awardees’ work will be shared here, creating a platform for international conversation and knowledge exchange.”
Project Grants of up to £5,000—and up to £10,000 in exceptional cases—are also available for projects focused on Asian or African textiles or dress. The last round of Project Grants was allocated in 2024. These grants are open to emerging and early-career researchers, curators, practitioners, community leaders, and small not-for-profit groups operating in the UK or internationally.
“I am really excited to see what light we can shine through this fund,” said Karun. “The committee is looking at innovative ways to reach potential applicants who have new and radical approaches.”
The Selection Committee includes Karun Thakar, Gus Casely-Hayford, Christine Checinska, Ben Evans, Avalon Fotheringham, Lulu Lytle, Divia Patel, and Siddhartha Shah.
Ambulance are seen parked near the post-mortem room at a hospital before transferring victims' dead bodies to a mortuary in Ahmedabad on June 13, 2025, a day after Air India flight 171 crashed in a residential area.
GRIEVING families waited on Saturday for updates after one of the deadliest aviation disasters in recent decades, as the death toll from the Air India crash rose to 279.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner issued a mayday call shortly before crashing around midday on Thursday. The aircraft burst into flames as it hit residential buildings in the northern Indian city of Ahmedabad.
A police source confirmed to AFP on Saturday that 279 bodies had been recovered from the site. The crash is among the worst aviation disasters of the 21st century.
There was one survivor among the 242 passengers and crew members on board. The tail section of the aircraft remained lodged in a hostel for medical staff.
At least 38 people on the ground were also killed.
"I saw my child for the first time in two years, it was a great time," said Anil Patel, whose son and daughter-in-law had come to visit before taking the flight.
"And now, there is nothing," he said, breaking down. "Whatever the gods wanted has happened."
Search for black box continues
Relatives of the victims have been providing DNA samples in Ahmedabad. Some family members have flown in to assist in the identification process.
The final casualty figure will only be confirmed once DNA testing is completed.
According to Air India, the aircraft was carrying 169 Indian nationals, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian citizen, along with 12 crew members.
The victims included a senior politician and a teenage tea seller.
The only survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, spoke to national broadcaster DD News from his hospital bed. A British citizen, Ramesh said, "Initially, I too thought that I was about to die, but then I opened my eyes and realised that I was still alive."
Aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said on Friday that a flight data recorder had been found. "It would significantly aid" the investigation, he said.
Forensic teams are still searching for the second black box as investigators try to determine why the aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff, reaching a height of only 100 metres (330 feet).
US aircraft manufacturer Boeing said it was in contact with Air India and "ready to support them" regarding the incident. A source close to the investigation said this was the first crash involving a 787 Dreamliner.
(With inputs from agencies)
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A view shows the wreckage of the tail section of an Air India aircraft, bound for London's Gatwick Airport, which crashed during take-off from airport in Ahmedabad. (Photo: Reuters)
THE INVESTIGATION into the Air India crash that killed more than 240 people is focusing on the aircraft's engine, flaps, and landing gear.
The Indian aviation regulator has ordered safety checks on the airline’s entire Boeing 787 fleet, reported Reuters.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, with 242 people on board and headed to Gatwick Airport near London, began losing altitude shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad. CCTV footage showed the aircraft crashing into a residential area and erupting into a fireball after hitting buildings.
Only one passenger survived. Local media reported that up to 24 people on the ground were also killed when the plane hit a medical college hostel during lunchtime.
This is the deadliest aviation accident globally in the past ten years.
Probe focuses on aircraft components
A source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters the investigation is examining several factors, including engine thrust, flap deployment, and why the landing gear was still down during take-off. The plane lost height and crashed moments after leaving the runway.
The probe is also looking into possible maintenance issues and whether Air India was at fault, the source said.
A bird-hit is not among the primary areas being investigated, the source added. Anti-terrorism teams are also involved in the probe.
The Indian government is considering whether to ground the Boeing 787 fleet during the investigation. Air India, Boeing, and the aviation ministry have not commented on this yet.
Air India operates more than 30 Dreamliners, including Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft. An Air India source said the airline has not received any communication about grounding the fleet so far.
Safety checks ordered on Dreamliner fleet
India’s aviation regulator has directed Air India to carry out additional maintenance checks on its Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft with GEnx engines. This includes a "one-time check" of take-off parameters before each flight starting from midnight on 15 June.
The regulator also asked the airline to add flight control system checks during transit inspections and to complete power assurance checks within two weeks. These are aimed at confirming the engine can generate the necessary power.
Flight data recorder recovered
The aviation ministry said investigators have recovered the digital flight data recorder from the rooftop of the building where the plane crashed. The cockpit voice recorder, the second black box, has not yet been found.
The Tata Group, which took over Air India from the government in 2022 and later merged it with Vistara, is part of the investigation. Tata Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran said in an internal memo that investigators from India, the UK, and the US have arrived. “We don’t know right now,” he said. “We want to understand what happened and will be fully transparent.”
GE Aerospace, which manufactures the aircraft engines, said it supports the regulator’s actions. “Safety is our top priority,” a GE Aerospace spokesperson said. “We are committed to providing all technical support necessary to understand the cause of this accident.”
Rescue operations completed
On Friday, rescue workers completed search operations at the crash site. Teams were searching buildings for missing people, bodies, and aircraft parts that could assist the investigation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the site in Gujarat, where he was briefed on rescue operations and met some of the injured in hospital. “The scene of devastation is saddening,” he said on X.
This is the first crash involving a Boeing Dreamliner since the aircraft began commercial service in 2011, according to the Aviation Safety Network. The aircraft involved in Thursday’s crash first flew in 2013 and was delivered to Air India in January 2014, according to Flightradar24.
The passengers included 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese and one Canadian.