When the British chose Shillong as their headquarters they had a reason. The undulating hills, the greenery around and the salubrious climate must have tempted them to decide on this city as their headquarters after shifting from rainy Cherrapunjee (Sohra). Whatever may have been their fault and failings the British built institutions that have lasted and which were appropriate for a state that was earthquake prone. The earthquake of June 12, 1897 must have also been a warning to them that buildings should as much as possible use wood for floorboards and the sand and lime mixture for the walls while the roofs were of corrugated galvanized iron sheets. Many of these structures stand testimony to the architectural skill of the British. One of those structures is the Presbyterian Church at Police Bazar which was built in 1876 but was destroyed by the 1897 earthquake. It was rebuilt in 1902.
This church has a statue of Rev Thomas Jones, a Welsh missionary who gave the Khasis their script in 1841, following which they could write their own folk tales and historical narratives which earlier were part of oral narratives. But this Presbyterian Church is not the only heritage building. The Raj Bhavan, now known as the Lok Bhavan to give it a people-centric nomenclature too is a legacy of the British. It was originally built for the Deputy Commissioner and later became the Chief Commissioner’s residence in 1874. Like the Church it also was destroyed in the 1897 earthquake, and then rebuilt with an earthquake-resistant timber design and was completed in October 1903. After independence, in 1951 the building was named Raj Bhavan and has served as a historical seat for Meghalaya’s governors. There are heritage structures such as the Tara Ghar which have now been brought down to make way for some other structures.
There have been concerns expressed in this daily about an alleged proposal to dismantle the old Church at Police Bazar which would be replaced by a commercial structure. If indeed there is such a proposal, it will inevitably be pushed back by those who continue to worship in that church and for whom it has been a place of great solace apart from the fact that it also is a constant reminder of Thomas Jones that great missionary who took great trouble to understand the Khasi language and give the Khasis their script. True, a statue of Thomas Jones is also set up at Nongsawlia in Sohra but what has been put up with much thought cannot be undone so abruptly. The MDA Government ought to reconsider any such decision that can have far-reaching consequences. There are many other spaces that can be utilised to set up what the Government considers to be crucial infrastructure that is not necessarily a commercial one. In a city that is growing exponentially there is bound to be a growing demand for space to accommodate different stakeholders such as hawkers etc., some of whom are now located inside the MUDA Parking lot and another lot in the old PWD set-up at Barik. However, some spaces are sacred and the Government should recognise that. If private parties are involved in this attempt to convert a church into a commercial space then those owing their allegiance to that church ought to gear themselves up and fight the good fight.
