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Shillong, Oct 15 (IANS) Agitation, protests and outrage following the demolition of historic Redlands buildings in Meghalaya capital Shillong, also known as Manipur Rajbari, continued for the 7th day on Wednesday.
Members of Manipuri Elders Consortium, Shillong (MECS) and Shillong Manipuri Students Union (SMSU) gathered at the historic Redlands Building site in Laitumkhrah, Shillong on Wednesday.
Members of the two Manipuri community organizations expressed strong condemnation over what they described as an “unforgivable act of erasing the living history of Manipur”.
Two days after the Manipur government’s Planning and Development Authority (PDA) made an official attempt to justify the demolition by putting the responsibility on the Arts and Culture Department, Manipuri communities in Shillong on Wednesday staged a massive protest at the demolition site.
The protesters from both the organizations demanded strict punishment to the officials involved in the demolition of the over 95-year-old Redlands Bungalow, where the historic Accession Agreement of Manipur was signed before the erstwhile princely state of Manipur acceded to the Indian Union in 1949.
The groups also demanded that all ongoing construction activities at the site be stopped immediately until accountability is fixed. He rejected the government’s committee set up to “monitor and oversee the reconstruction” of the demolished bungalow, calling it unacceptable because it included officials allegedly responsible for the demolition.
Both organizations also urged the government to allow local Manipuri representatives to be part of the restoration inspection process to ensure transparency and authenticity.
According to the agitating organisations, the iconic Redlands Bungalow was demolished on October 8 under the directions of the PDA, Manipur, in line with the “development plan” approved by the Department of Art and Culture.
Despite repeated appeals by various organizations and individuals last month to preserve the structure through careful restoration, the demolition was carried out suddenly. Shillong-based MECS and SMSU described the act as a grave insult to Manipur’s cultural and political heritage, saying the silence of the Manipur government only strengthens public suspicion that the demolition was deliberate.
Anger is growing among Manipuris in both Meghalaya and Manipur, with demands for a high-level independent investigation gaining momentum.
Several political parties including BJP and Congress, senior political leaders, MPs, dozens of civil society organizations (CSOs), student bodies, Coordination Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), the apex body of the Meitei community in Manipur, are strongly protesting against the demolition of the historic building and demanding an inquiry into the Rajbari demolition.
The historic Redlands Building in Shillong, built in the 1940s, was one of the residences of the then King Maharaja Bodhchandra Singh. The building was reportedly demolished on 8 October to make way for the new Manipur Bhawan or Manipur Government Guest House.
The demolition of the Redlands Building in Shillong has been widely condemned by various organisations, including the Meitei Heritage Society, historians, scholars, citizens and experts, who call the demolition an irreparable loss to the political and cultural heritage of Manipur.
Meanwhile, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, who is also the National People’s Party (NPP) president, visited Imphal last week to assess the ongoing ethnic crisis in Manipur.
Speaking to the media, he categorically denied any involvement of the Meghalaya government, saying that no permission for the demolition was given by his government.
–IANS
SC/And