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HC judge to probe Shillong blaze

Meghalaya Chief Minister E K Mawlong has decided to set up a judicial inquiry commission to probe the fire that gutted the historic State Assembly building in Shillong on Tuesday night. The inquiry will be headed by a high court judge.

About a thousand burnt books, including service books of employees, metal frames of the main structure and tonnes of burnt wood are the only remains of the 88-year-old building, which had been the Assembly building of an undivided Assam.

The fire was so intense that even the foundation stone of pure marble cracked. Luckily, the new building of the assembly, which is nearby, escaped the fury. Even pine trees that surrounded the assembly were unaffected.

Ironically, just above the assembly gate, there still hangs a banner wishing citizens of Shillong 'Merry Christmas and a bright New Year'.

It is learnt that documents dating back to 1921 were destroyed.

While the Opposition's room exists, the ruling party's room was devastated. Just opposite the ruling party's room was the press gallery, which was reduced to ashes. Adjacent to the assembly library was the secretary's room that was burning till Wednesday morning.

Being one of the oldest buildings of Shillong, it was basically made up of wooden structures with the support of iron frames. The wood, mainly teak, had been brought from Myanmar.

It took almost 12 hours to douse the inferno, which gutted around 80 per cent of the building.

The Meghalaya Legislative Assembly building had been inaugurated as the Legislative Chamber of Assam in 1924. The foundation stone had been laid by the second Governor of Assam, Sir William Sinclair Morris on September 28, 1921. In 1937, it had been upgraded to a Legislative Assembly. When the capital of Assam was shifted to Dispur in 1971 the heritage building was taken over by the Government of Meghalaya.

Governor M M Jacob said that it was not only a great loss for the entire country. "We have lost a heritage building which can never be compensated," the governor said.

Mawlong, who was in Tura, cancelled all meetings and rushed to Shillong. He said the loss was irreparable.

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