Students storm PDA office over demolition of Manipur Rajbari building in Shillong

Imphal, Oct 14 (IANS) A large group of students from a private university in Imphal on Tuesday stormed the Planning and Development Authority (PDA) office here to protest the recent demolition of the historic Redlands Buildings in Shillong, also called Manipur Rajbari.

A large number of police personnel led by senior officials immediately rushed to the Chingmeirong areas, where the PDA office is situated, and confronted the protesting students. The police tried to prevent the students from thronging into the office of the PDA.

However, the students broke the police barricade and thronged the office, shouting slogans. The students later locked the gates of the PDA office and raised slogans such as “Long Live Manipur” and “Down Down PDA” to express their anger, demanding accountability for the demolition of the iconic buildings.

The demolition of the Redlands Buildings in Meghalaya's capital, Shillong, last week has sparked widespread outrage among people, almost all political parties, including the BJP and Congress, and Civil Society Organisations of the state.

The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), the apex body of the Meitei community in Manipur, on Tuesday demanded an inquiry into the Rajbari demolition.

Speaking to media persons, COCOMI Convenor Khuraijam Athouba described the dismantling of the Manipur Rajbari as a grave act of negligence and betrayal of public trust.

The historic Redlands Building, constructed in the 1940s in Shillong, was one of the residences of the erstwhile king Maharaja Bodhachandra Singh. The building was torn down last week, reportedly to make way for a new Manipur Bhavan or a guest house of the Manipur government.

The demolition of Redlands Buildings in Shillong has triggered widespread condemnation from various organisations, including Meitei Heritage Society, historians, scholars, citizens, experts, almost all political parties, Civil Society Organisations, and students' bodies, who describe the demolition as an irreparable loss to Manipur’s political and cultural heritage.

Meanwhile, Meghalaya Chief Minister Sangma, who is also the President of the National People's Party (NPP), last week visited Imphal to assess the ongoing ethnic crisis in Manipur. While talking to the media, he categorically denied any involvement of the Meghalaya government, stating that no permission had been granted by his government for the demolition.

--IANS

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