By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Oct 16: Manipur’s Planning and Development Authority (PDA) and the General Administration Department (GAD) have defended their decision to demolish the historic Manipur Rajbari, also known as Red Lands, at Boyce Road in Shillong on October 8.
Both departments issued separate clarifications following widespread criticism and outrage from citizens, organisations, and Manipuri groups who condemned the demolition of the heritage bungalow as a “grave disrespect to history.”
Constructed in the 1940s, the Red Lands bungalow served as one of the official residences of Maharaja Bodhachandra Singh and holds deep historical and emotional significance for the Manipuri community.
In its statement, the PDA explained that the demolition was part of a comprehensive project titled “Infrastructure Development of Heritage Complex, Rajbari, Shillong,” which includes the reconstruction and restoration of the Rajbari building.
The PDA’s Executive Engineer-I, Ngangom Dilip Meitei, stated that the structure was in a severely dilapidated condition, with termite-infested wooden posts, rafters, and purlins, as well as rainwater leakage that had worsened its stability.
“As a first step, the dismantling of a dilapidated part of the building was taken up. However, there was apprehension that the remaining portion might collapse due to structural weakness,” the PDA said.
The authority added that the dismantling was done manually and with due care, and that materials such as
wooden doors, windows, and wall plates were safely stored for possible reuse.
The PDA further said that a detailed project report (DPR) for the redevelopment project was prepared at the request of Manipur’s Art and Culture Department and submitted to the North Eastern Council (NEC) for approval. The NEC approved the DPR in July 2023, which included two components – construction of a guest house and reconstruction/restoration of an exhibition hall/gallery.
The GAD clarified that the construction of the guest house began in April 2024 and is nearly complete. Subsequently, Meitei Construction Ltd. commenced work on the second component, starting with the dismantling of a damaged section of the building.
“Due to fears that the remaining portion might collapse, dismantling of the entire structure was necessitated and carried out manually with proper care,” the GAD stated.
According to the department, all materials from the old structure have been properly documented through photographs and videography and stored for future reuse. The GAD also confirmed that all ongoing work at the site has now been stopped.
To oversee the reconstruction and restoration process, the Governor of Manipur constituted a Monitoring and Supervision Committee on October 13.
The committee will ensure that the rebuilt structure adheres strictly to the original architectural design, historical features, and dimensions, according to old photographs and records.
The committee may also engage heritage conservation experts to preserve the aesthetic integrity and heritage value of the structure.
The committee will be headed by Municipal Administration, Housing and Urban Development Director, Ngangom Uttam Singh, as its chairman and Deputy Secretary (Art and Culture), Sunanda Thokchom, as the member secretary.
The other three members are Deputy Secretary (GAD), Clara Koshoni Phimu, Superintendent (Archaeology, Manipur), K. Shahikanta Sharma, and Executive Engineer-I, PDA, Ngangom Dilip Meitei.
Earlier, the Manipuri Elders’ Consortium Shillong (MECS) opposed the inclusion of a PDA official in the newly formed committee.
“We don’t want any member of the PDA, which was responsible for the demolition, to be part of this committee. They should be immediately removed,” MECS convener Munish Singh Ningthoujam said.
He urged that representatives of the Meitei community in Shillong be included in the committee to ensure proper supervision of the restoration process.
“We want local Meitei representatives from Shillong to be part of this committee so that they can monitor the progress regularly and ensure that the original design and structure of the Rajbari are retained,” he said, stressing that those involved in the demolition “should not be brought back.”
