Meitei Community Seeks Probe Into Demolition Of Iconic Heritage Bungalow In Shillong

Members of the Meitei community in Meghalaya's Shillong came out in large numbers in protest against the demolition of an iconic building that served as the home of the last king of Manipur.

Redlands Building, also known as 'Manipur Rajbari', was the venue where the last ruler of the princely state of Manipur, Maharaja Bodhachandra Singh, signed an agreement with the Union of India in September 1949 to merge the princely state with it.

The building also served as his home in Shillong, a picturesque hill city that became the capital of Meghalaya in 1972.

After its demolition over a week ago sparked protests, the Manipur government clarified it had doubts about the strength of the dilapidated bungalow which was over 80 years old. Due to this, the government said, engineers demolished it in order to reconstruct a new building by keeping all original fixtures and design.

But the government's clarification has prompted Meitei civil society organisations to raise more questions, such as who ordered the demolition, and why a project of great heritage value as the Manipur Rajbari went to a contractor who allegedly has not worked in advanced heritage restoration or reconstruction work?

The Manipur government has also formed a committee to monitor the work.

People responsible for the demolition should not be involved in the restoration process, Manipuri Elders' Consortium, Shillong (MECS) spokesperson K Chirom said in a statement on Wednesday.

Members of the Shillong Manipuri Students' Union (SMSU) also came to the site where the Rajbari stood for decades till its demolition last week, and demanded answers.

Both the civil society organisations suggested the formation of an independent committee comprising restoration experts, architects familiar with Anglo-Assamese design, and professionals with knowledge of local climatic and cultural contexts.

The MECS and the SMSU alleged the authorities demolished the heritage bungalow in haste despite repeated appeals made over the last one month to the relevant government departments to explore alternatives that would preserve the original structure with minimal damage and maximum care.

The MECS on September 10 had written to the state government requesting restoration of the erstwhile bungalow "to preserve its structure for the years to come." Former Minister of State for External Affairs Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, too, had requested a soft touch and maximum preservation approach.

The protesters demanded work at the Rajbari site should be stopped immediately until a thorough investigation is done and those responsible are held accountable.

Manipur's Planning and Development Authority (PDA), which is the implementing agency of the project, last week said the building was over 80 years old, and timely repairs were not done.

Based on suggestions by the Manipur Art and Culture Department, the PDA gave a proposal to the North Eastern Council (NEC) to take up work at the "heritage complex" in Shillong, following which the NEC approved it in July 2023, the PDA said in the statement.

"One of the main components of the project is the reconstruction/restoration of Rajbari building which is very old and dilapidated. The moth-eaten wooden posts, rafters and purlins and leakage of rain in the building worsened the structures," the PDA said.

The Manipur government agency said it first dismantled a dilapidated part of the building, but concerns arose over whether the remaining part would collapse, which then necessitated dismantling of the whole structure.

"The original architectural design of the building including dimensions of the rooms and its height shall be absolutely maintained during reconstruction. This reconstruction/restoration has been taken up for a longer span of building life for future generations. There is no intention to erase the historical building," the PDA said.

The Manipur government got the Rajbari land on lease from the Meghalaya government in August 2021. There are two projects at the site - a new Manipur Bhawan, and an exhibition hall and gallery. The Bhawan is coming up adjacent to where the Redlands Building stood.