GH cenotaph row: Govt bins plan to construct commercial structure

SHILLONG, April 24: The controversy surrounding the proposed construction of commercial structure at Garo Labour Corps Cenotaph at Babupara, Tura, has been put to rest with the state government announcing the decision to do away with the proposal.
This development is significant as the region had witnessed stiff opposition to the government’s plan to reconstruct the memorial without taking the stakeholders on board and also following reports of the construction of a commercial structure alongside the cenotaph.
Cabinet Minister Marcuise N Marak, who also heads the 28-member committee for the preservation of Garo culture and heritage, announced on Thursday that no commercial structure will come up and it will continue to be a war memorial only.
“No commercial structure will come up; it will be like a park war memorial. We will have a second meeting on the 30th of this month. Local architect has been asked to come up with a design, and if all is well, we will submit it to the government for consideration,” he said.
Informing about the first meeting of the committee, he said, “We have discussed dismantling the cenotaph for new construction…Civil society groups and unions were objecting to it, stating that no consultation was held with stakeholders.”
Reminding that the state government had constituted a committee following stiff opposition to the project, he said the stakeholders are on board now and the first round of discussions has been held.
“All stakeholders suggested that the cenotaph should be constructed in the same place. They also mentioned that many names do not reflect in the cenotaph,” he said.
He said that efforts will be undertaken to find out the missed-out names and include the same after research.
“Around 1000 were recruited in the World War I, out of which 500 were deemed fit to go and help, and while 400-something were sent to France, as many as 105 probably returned back. Since only few names are reflected, the committee felt that those names should be included,” he said.