Shillong: Tension gripped parts of Shillong on Tuesday after a group of students from a private university in Imphal stormed the office of the Planning and Development Authority (PDA), protesting the recent demolition of the historic Redlands Building — popularly known as the Manipur Rajbari.
The demonstrators, shouting slogans such as “Long Live Manipur” and “Down Down PDA,” accused the authorities of disrespecting Manipur’s cultural heritage and demanded accountability for what they described as the destruction of a symbol of history.
The Redlands Building, constructed in the 1940s, was once a residence of Maharaja Bodhachandra Singh, the former ruler of Manipur.
Police personnel, led by senior officials, were deployed to the PDA office in the Chingmeirong area to contain the situation.
Despite attempts to prevent the crowd from entering the premises, the students broke through the barricades and later locked the gates of the office compound.
The demolition of the Rajbari last week in Meghalaya’s capital has sparked widespread outrage, drawing condemnation from across political lines.
The BJP, Congress, and several civil society organisations in both states have criticised the move, calling it a cultural and historical loss.
In Imphal, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) demanded a full inquiry into the incident.
Convenor Khuraijam Athouba termed the demolition “a grave act of negligence and betrayal of public trust,” urging authorities to fix responsibility and preserve what remains of Manipur’s heritage sites.
The Redlands Building was reportedly razed to make way for a new Manipur Bhavan or guest house project by the Manipur government.
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However, the move has since ignited a larger debate over heritage conservation and interstate coordination.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, who also heads the National People’s Party, has distanced his government from the controversy.
During his recent visit to Imphal, Sangma said no permission had been granted by the Meghalaya authorities for the demolition.
The outcry continues to grow, with historians, scholars, heritage groups, and student organisations describing the loss of the Rajbari as “irreparable” — a blow to the shared cultural legacy of the Northeast.
