Protests continue over demolition of Manipur Rajbari in Shillong

Shillong, Oct 15 Agitations, protests and resentments continued for the 7th day on Wednesday after the demolition of the historic Redlands Buildings in Meghalaya's capital, Shillong, also called Manipur Rajbari.

Members of the Manipuri Elders’ Consortium, Shillong (MECS) and the Shillong Manipuri Students’ Union (SMSU) on Wednesday gathered at the historic Redlands Buildings site in Shillong’s Laitumkhrah.

Members of the two Manipuri communities’ organisations expressed their strong condemnation over what they described as an “unforgivable act of erasing Manipur’s living history.”

Two days after the Manipur government’s Planning and Development Authority’s (PDA) official attempt to justify the demolition by shifting responsibility to the Department of Art and Culture, the Manipuri communities in Shillong staged a massive protest at the demolition site on Wednesday.

The protesters of the two organisations demanded strict punishment of the officials involved in the demolition of the more than 95-year-old Redlands Bungalow, where the historic Merger Agreement of Manipur was signed in 1949, before the erstwhile princely state of Manipur joined the Indian Union.

The groups also demanded that all ongoing construction activities at the site be immediately halted until accountability is fixed. They rejected the government’s committee formed to “monitor and supervise the reconstruction” of the demolished bungalow, terming it unacceptable since it includes officials allegedly responsible for the demolition.

The two organisations also urged the government to allow local Manipuri representatives to be part of the restoration oversight process to ensure transparency and authenticity.

According to the agitating organisations, the iconic Redland Bungalow was demolished on October 8 under directives of the PDA, Manipur, in concurrence with a “development plan” approved by the Department of Art and Culture.

Despite repeated appeals over the past month from various organisations and individuals to preserve the structure through careful restoration, the demolition was carried out abruptly. Describing the act as a grave insult to Manipur’s cultural and political legacy, the Shillong-based MECS and SMSU said the silence of the Manipur government only reinforces public suspicion that the demolition was deliberate.

The anger among Manipuris, both in Meghalaya and Manipur, continues to grow, with calls for a high-level independent probe gaining momentum.

Many political parties, including the BJP and the Congress, senior political leaders, MPs, dozens of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), student bodies, Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), the apex body of the Meitei community in Manipur, have been strongly protesting the demolition of the historic building and demanding an inquiry into the Rajbari demolition.

The historic Redlands Building, constructed in the 1940s in Shillong, was one of the residences of the erstwhile king Maharaja Bodhachandra Singh. The building was torn down on October 8, reportedly to make way for a new Manipur Bhavan or a guest house of the Manipur government.

The demolition of Redlands Buildings in Shillong has triggered widespread condemnation from various organisations, including Meitei Heritage Society, historians, scholars, citizens and experts, who describe the demolition as an irreparable loss to Manipur’s political and cultural heritage.

Meanwhile, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, who is also the President of the National People's Party (NPP), last week visited Imphal to assess the ongoing ethnic crisis in Manipur.

While talking to the media, he categorically denied any involvement of the Meghalaya government, stating that no permission had been granted by his government for the demolition.

--IANS

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