A wave of shock and outrage swept across Manipur and Meghalaya today following the demolition of the historic Redlands Building (Manipuri Rajbari) in Shillong — the site where the controversial Manipur Merger Agreement was signed on September 21, 1949, between Maharaja Bodhachandra and representatives of the Union of India.
Coincidentally, the demolition took place as Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma was visiting Imphal to assess the ongoing crisis in Manipur. Responding to the controversy, Sangma categorically denied any involvement of his government, stating that no permission had been granted by the Meghalaya government for the demolition.
“As far as information culled through telephonic conversation, it is confirmed that the Meghalaya government is not involved in any way and no permission was given. It is completely a matter dealt with by the Manipur government,” Sangma told reporters before departing for Nagaland.
He assured that an official inquiry would be initiated to determine how the demolition occurred, stressing that the Meghalaya government had always stood for preserving heritage sites. “We have been clear that such monuments must be preserved. I will definitely inquire into it since it happened in my state,” he said.
The Redlands Building, constructed in the 1940s, was once the Shillong residence of Maharaja Bodhachandra Singh. Despite repeated appeals from heritage groups and former Union Minister Dr. R.K. Ranjan Singh to preserve the site, the building was torn down reportedly to make way for a new Manipur Bhavan.
The move has triggered widespread condemnation from historians, scholars, and citizens, who describe the demolition as an irreparable loss to Manipur’s political and cultural heritage. Many have demanded accountability from both state governments for allowing the destruction of what they term a “monument of historical betrayal and remembrance.”