Guwahati: The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has protested the demolition of the Manipur Rajbari (Redlands Building) at Laitumkhrah, Shillong.
It called it “an act of historical insensitivity” that has deeply wounded the collective sentiment of the Manipuri people.
The Rajbari, the ex-residence of Maharaja Bodhachandra Singh and the site where the 1949 Merger Agreement of Manipur with India was signed, was dismantled under the “Infrastructure Development of Heritage Complex, Rajbari, Shillong” project by the Planning and Development Authority (PDA), Government of Manipur.
COCOMI refuted the official claim “that the building was structurally unsafe and termite-infested.”
“The Rajbari is not merely a structure; it is a living testament to Manipur’s sovereign past and its unholy journey into modern India.”
The panel is angry “that assurances since 2022 promising renovation while preserving the building’s original architecture were ignored, and the demolition proceeded without public consultation, expert oversight, or transparency.”
Also Read: Manipur: Iconic Rajbari under restoration, says government
Concerns were also raised that the “heritage development” project may be a pretext for constructing a new Manipur Bhavan, potentially erasing a landmark tied to the state’s modern history.
The Manipur government has clarified on “reports circulating in the media and on social platforms concerning the condition and dismantling of the historic Rajbari building located in Shillong.”
As per a statement by the Executive Engineer-I, Planning & Development Authority, the Rajbari building is over 80 and had existed prior to 1949, and has suffered significant structural deterioration due to the absence of timely repairs over the decades.
The building was declared in a dilapidated state, prompting the government to take restoration measures.
A Detailed Project Report (DPR) titled Infrastructure Development of Heritage Complex, Shillongwas prepared following a request of the Department of Art & Culture, Government of Manipur, and submitted to the North Eastern Council (NEC), Government of India. The NEC examined the proposal in detail and approved it in July 2023, reports India Today Ne.
The DPR has the reconstruction and restoration of the Rajbari building, that turned “structurally unstable due to moth-eaten wooden posts, rafters, purlins, and rainwater leakage. “