A wave of shock and condemnation swept across Manipur and Meghalaya after the demolition of the over 90-year-old Manipur Rajbari (Redlands Building) in Shillong a site deeply intertwined with Manipur\u2019s modern history. The demolition, which took place on October 9, 2025, reportedly to make way for a new Manipur Bhavan, has sparked widespread outrage among historians, scholars, and citizens.<\/p>\n
Originally owned by Maharaja Churachand Singh, the Redlands property was given to the Manipur royal family by the British government in the 1930s, after they took over the earlier royal residence, Le Chatelier, located near the AG Office in Shillong.<\/p>\n
The Redlands later became the official residence of Maharaja Bodhachandra Singh following the death of his father, Churachand Maharaj. The building holds immense historical value as it was where Maharaja Bodhachandra resided during the crucial period surrounding the controversial 1949 Manipur Merger Agreement, signed on September 21, 1949. The merger took effect on October 15, 1949, marking a turning point in Manipur\u2019s political history.<\/p>\n
Over the years, the site was sold by the next titular king, Okendra, and later brought back on lease by Chief Minister R.K. Jaichandra Singh. Despite repeated appeals from individuals, historians, and heritage groups to preserve the Rajbari as a Heritage Bungalow under the Archaeological Survey of India, the demolition went ahead, drawing strong criticism over the loss of a vital cultural landmark.<\/p>\n
Prominent historian and guest faculty at Manipur University, Moirangthem Boby, lamented the demolition, saying: \u201cOver 90 years old Manipur Rajbari Building at Redland Shillong, a historically significant structure from the 1930s, was demolished yesterday (9.10.2025) to construct a new Manipur Bhavan… Despite appeals from individuals and heritage groups to preserve this iconic site as a Heritage Bungalow under the Archaeological Survey of India, the demolition proceeded, triggering widespread concern over the loss of a vital piece of Manipur\u2019s cultural and historical heritage. This decision has ignited debates about balancing modern development with the preservation of historically significant landmarks, highlighting the need for thoughtful urban planning to safeguard cultural legacies.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adding to the growing chorus of criticism, journalist Luckyboy questioned whether the demolition under President\u2019s Rule in Manipur was politically motivated, remarking: \u201cCan we say that the President\u2019s Rule in Manipur is being used to erase our history? The Rajbari in Shillong is not a monument belonging to any single community \u2014 it is a historic symbol for all Manipuris. Its destruction is nothing less than an attempt to wipe out our shared history.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, who was visiting Imphal at the time of the incident, denied any role of his government in the demolition. \u201cAs 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,\u201d Sangma told reporters before leaving for Nagaland. He assured that an inquiry would be initiated, reiterating his government\u2019s commitment to heritage preservation. \u201cWe have been clear that such monuments must be preserved. I will definitely inquire into it since it happened in my state,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
The demolition of the Redlands Building where history, memory, and identity converge has reignited debate over the fragile balance between development and heritage conservation, symbolizing for many Manipuris a painful erasure of collective history.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A wave of shock and condemnation swept across Manipur and Meghalaya after the demolition of the over 90-year-old Manipur Rajbari (Redlands Building) in Shillong a site deeply intertwined with Manipur\u2019s … Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4243,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[32,33],"tags":[281,282],"class_list":["post-4242","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inn","category-state","tag-demolition","tag-manipur-rajbari","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ichelnewsnetwork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4242","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ichelnewsnetwork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ichelnewsnetwork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ichelnewsnetwork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ichelnewsnetwork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4242"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ichelnewsnetwork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4242\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8647,"href":"https:\/\/ichelnewsnetwork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4242\/revisions\/8647"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ichelnewsnetwork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4242"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ichelnewsnetwork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4242"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ichelnewsnetwork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4242"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}