Public anger intensifies over Red Land Demolition: PDA’s clarification fails to convince

The controversy surrounding the demolition of the historic Red Land Building in Shillong continues to escalate, with the Planning and Development Authority’s (PDA) clarification failing to calm public outrage. Two days after a PDA official attempted to justify the demolition by shifting responsibility to the Department of Art and Culture, Government of Manipur, Manipuri communities in Shillong staged a protest at the demolition site this morning.
Members of the Manipuri Elders’ Consortium, Shillong (MECS) and the Shillong Manipuri Students’ Union (SMSU) gathered at the Red Land premises in Laitumkhrah, Shillong, expressing strong condemnation over what they described as an “unforgivable act of erasing Manipur’s living history.” The protesters demanded strict punishment of the officials involved in the demolition of the more than 95-year-old Redlands Bungalow, where the historic Merger Agreement of Manipur was signed in 1949.
The groups also demanded that all ongoing construction activities at the site be immediately halted until accountability is fixed. They rejected the government’s committee formed to “monitor and supervise the reconstruction” of the demolished bungalow, terming it unacceptable since it includes officials allegedly responsible for the demolition.
Instead, the MECS and SMSU called for the formation of a new committee comprising restoration experts, architects, and local stakeholders familiar with heritage conservation and Shillong’s climatic conditions. The organizations also urged the government to allow local Manipuri representatives to be part of the restoration oversight process to ensure transparency and authenticity.
The century-old Red Land Bungalow was demolished on October 8, 2025, under directives of the Planning and Development Authority (PDA), Manipur, in concurrence with a “development plan” approved by the Department of Art and Culture. Despite repeated appeals over the past month from various organizations to preserve the structure through careful restoration, the demolition was carried out abruptly.
Describing the act as a grave insult to Manipur’s cultural and political legacy, the Shillong-based Manipuri organizations said the silence of the state government only reinforces public suspicion that the demolition was deliberate. The anger among Manipuris, both in Shillong and Manipur, continues to grow, with calls for a high-level independent probe gaining momentum.