Manipur govt to monitor restoration of Manipur Rajbari in Shillong

Amid widespread outrage over the recent demolition of an iconic old building in Meghalaya’s Shillong linked to Manipur’s history, the Manipur government on Monday constituted a committee to monitor and supervise the reconstruction and restoration of the historic structures.
Redlands Building, also known as ‘Manipuri Rajbari’ in Meghalaya’s Shillong, where the last ruler of the Manipur kingdom, Maharaja Bodhachandra Singh, signed an agreement with the Union of India in September 1949 to merge the kingdom (Manipur) with it was demolished on September 8 last.
The demolition of the building which also served as the home of the last ruler of Manipur triggered widespread shock and outrage both in Manipur and Meghalaya and demanded a probe into the demolition of such a site, constructed in the early 1940s and revered by generations in both Manipur and Meghalaya.
In the backdrop of this widespread public ire, the state MAHUD department constituted a committee to monitor and supervise the reconstruction and restoration of the historic structures.
“The Governor of Manipur is pleased to constitute a Monitoring and Supervision Committee for reconstruction and restoration of historic Manipur Bhavan at Rajbari (Red Land) Building, Shillong to monitor, oversee, coordinate with stakeholders, ensure quality compliance, heritage compliance and timely execution,” the order read.
MAHUD director Ngangom Uttam Singh is the chairman of the committee with deputy secretary Sunanda Thokchom of art and culture department as member secretary.
Deputy secretary of GAD (General Administrative Department), superintendent of Archaeology Manipur and executive engineer of PDA were the members of the committee that shall monitor and supervise the reconstruction and restoration works. Meanwhile, joining the chorus condemning the demolition of the historic Manipur Rajbari at Redlands, Manipur Congress demanded legal action against those responsible for the unforgivable act of negligence and disrespect to the history and identity of Manipur.
Addressing a news conference at Imphal Congress Bhavan, MPCC president K Meghachandra held a former chief minister, officials of MADUD and PDA (Planning and Development Authority), the engineering cell of the MAHUD department, responsible for the unforgivable act.
Officials of MAHUD, PDA and former chief minister should be booked and legal action should be initiated against them, the MPCC chief said.
He said that the site carries immense historical, political, and emotional significance for the people of Manipur, as it was at his building that Maharaja Bodhachandra Singh resided during the signing of the merger agreement related to the merger of erstwhile Manipur kingdom to the dominion of India in September 1949.
He termed the act as a grave insult to Manipur’s history and identity while accusing the BJP-led double engine government of gross negligence and disrespect toward the state’s royal and cultural legacy.
He demanded that the India government and the Meghalaya government must immediately clarify the circumstances under which this destruction took place and take urgent steps for restoration and preservation of the site as a protected heritage monument.
On the other hand, students of DM University today staged a protest against the recent demolition of the historically significant building.
Asserting that the then king of Manipur was forced to sign the merger agreement at this recently demolished building, the protesting students alleged that the historic Manipur Rajbari was a deliberate plan to erase the glory of Manipur history.
Ksh Meghajit, a student leader, alleged that the recent incident has made it clear that the Indian government has been looking down upon the people of Manipur.
“We are not satisfied with the clarification made by the state PDA. It must be investigated by a high-level enquiry committee and those responsible for the demolition must be punished as law,” he said.
“This is not development. This is a crime against history,” read one of the placards displayed during the protest. Another placard read “Manipur Rajbari fell, but our anger rose.”
He warned that if necessary legal action is not initiated against those responsible for the demolition, the student community may resort to various forms of intense agitation.
A tribal based student body – Thadou Students’ Association (TSA) – also joined the chorus condemning the demolition of the historic Redlands Building (Manipur Rajbari) in Shillong.
In a statement, the TSA said that it was this very site where the 1949 Merger Agreement was signed, marking Manipur’s integration into the sovereign Indian Union.
“The Rajbari was not just a royal residence, it was the place where India’s sovereignty evolved in the North East, symbolizing the constitutional and political transition of the region into the Indian framework,” the statement read.
The TSA highlighted that the Rajbari is of deep historical and emotional significance for the Thadou community, as it was here that Maharaja Bodhachandra Singh, under house arrest, signed the merger agreement on 21st September 1949.
Thadou chiefs, who tried to intervene, were denied access, making the event a defining moment of loyalty and loss for the community, it added.
While criticizing the planning and development authority for the demolition of the structure under the pretext of reconstruction, the TSA urged the India government, NEC, and the Manipur art & culture department to declare the site a protected heritage monument while seeking restoration of the building under qualified heritage experts.
Students of Manipur University also staged a protest outside the university campus in Imphal today demanding legal action against those responsible for the “deliberate attempt to erase the history of Manipur”.