How demolition of a bungalow in Meghalaya has touched a raw nerve in Manipur

On September 21, 1949, a striking colonial-style bungalow in Shillong became the site of a defining moment in Manipur’s history: the then ruler of the erstwhile princely state, Maharaja Bodhchandra Singh, signed the Manipur Merger Agreement with the then Union government. The circumstances surrounding the signing have long cast a shadow over Manipur’s relationship with the Union.

Last week, the bungalow, known as the Redlands Building or the Manipur Rajbari, was demolished. While the government has claimed the move was for “restoration” due to “instability and weakness of structural elements”, the demolition has sparked outrage and grief in Manipur.

The Redlands Building, with its distinctive late-colonial structure and steep sloping roofs, stood in Shillong’s prime Laitumkhrah area and