O Joy recalls return of Red Lands to Manipur

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Feb 21: Red Lands located in Shillong, which is valued at more than Rs 1000 crore today, is historically significant for Manipur. Yet, years of neglect have presented a threat to the very existence of this land, as it requires maintenance and care by the authorities concerned.
It may be mentioned that at the said area, often known as Manipur Rajbari in Shillong, was where Manipur king Maharaj Bodhachandra signed the Merger Agreement in 1949. However, even to this day, the State Government does possess any documents or pattas about this land which bears great historical significance for Manipur. This is mostly because of the absence of any Land Use Rules and Regulations from January 21, 1972 when Khasi, Garo and Jaintia Hills became Meghalaya, to this day.
After the land was sold off to two individuals, the then State Government led by Chief Minister late RK Ranbir, shelled out the necessary costs and bought it back for Manipur.
Speaking to The Sangai Express, veteran politician O Joy, who played an important role in taking back the land when he was the Law Minister, said that the RK Ranbir led Government decided to buy back Red Lands considering its historical importance and the sentiments of the people.
Informing that Red Lands had earlier been sold off to two individuals, one Lalu and Pingrou from Shillong for a mere sum of Rs 2 lakh, Joy explained that the two individuals had further sold off parts of the land to 10 more individuals.
The then State Government earmarked Rs 10 lakh to buy back the land, O Joy said, adding that he was the Law Minister at that time and in October, 1990, he along with then Revenue Minister (L) N Pramodchandra and the Deputy Secretary of the time, went and met Meghalaya CM (late) BB Lyngdoh and then Commissioner Revenue Bijali.
With their contribution, Red Lands was bought back in the name of Manipur, he added, explaining that the whole process took around 10 months as the land was returned from the 10 individuals to the two sellers and then from the two individuals to the State Government (Manipur).
He informed that for the process, 4 rooms were booked at Pine Hotel, Shillong and the Meghalaya Government entrusted the Commissioner Revenue with the task.
An office was set up with all necessary staff for completing the process to buy back the land. However, as Rs 10 lakh budget did not turn out to be enough, the Manipur Government had to shell out Rs 12 lakh for Red Lands. With that, the land once again returned to Manipur in 1991, Joy explained.
The veteran politician said that back then, the State Government had made plans for proper demarcation of the land, obtaining land documents, initiating compound fencing for development of the land.
However, following the next power shift, the plan was left in the cold, he lamented.