Imphal, October 11: Veteran politician and former Manipur Law Minister O. Joy Singh has urged Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma to take actions over the demolition of the historic Red Land Building in Shillong. The building, linked closely to Manipur’s history, was reportedly demolished on October 8, 2025.
Speaking to reporters in Imphal on Saturday, Joy Singh said the demolition was “a deliberate attempt to destroy the past glory and historical importance of Manipur.”
He explained that the building was of “historic, political and archaeological importance” and should have been protected and renovated instead of being torn down.
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“It was once the Raj Bhavan of Manipur at Shillong where the historic Manipur Merger Agreement of 1949 was signed by Maharaja Bodhachandra Singh,” Joy Singh said.
The former minister shared that the Red Land Building was built in 1930 and later sold to two private owners in 1980 for Rs 2 lakh. During his time as Law Minister, the Manipur government bought it back in 1990. He added that then Meghalaya Chief Minister B.B. Lyngdoh had handed the property back to Manipur, calling it a valuable historic asset.
Joy Singh also mentioned earlier appeals made by R.K. Ranjan Singh, former Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Education, and Munish Ningthoujam, president of the Manipuri Shahitya Parishad, Meghalaya. Both had requested the protection and repair of the building.
Despite these appeals, Joy said, the demolition still went ahead “in spite of complaints made to authorities in time.”
“I, on behalf of the people of Manipur, request you to find out who is responsible and take action quickly in the interest of the State and the country,” he appealed in his letter to the Manipur Governor and the Meghalaya Chief Minister.
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A copy of his letter was also sent to the Chief Secretary of Manipur and made public for awareness.
The Red Land Building, once the Raj Bhavan of Manipur in Shillong, is remembered as the place where the Manipur Merger Agreement of 1949 was signed, marking an important event in Manipur’s political history. Joy Singh said its demolition was “most unfortunate” and called for urgent steps to restore its legacy and hold those responsible accountable.
(Newmai News Network)