Shillong: Meghalaya officials are pushing to restore the U Tirot Sing Syiem memorial in Dhaka. The site sits at the entrance of the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre but fell during recent political chaos in Bangladesh. The state government now waits for a report on the damage.
Arts and Culture Minister Sanbor Shullai ordered his department to coordinate with the Bangladesh Embassy. They need a clear picture of the site before they spend money to rebuild. The government might commission a new life-size statue of the Khasi leader if conditions allow. Shullai said the government is "awaiting official feedback before deciding on the next course of action."
U Tirot Sing fought hard against British expansion during the early nineteenth century. Troops captured him and deported him to Dhaka. He died there as a political prisoner on July 17, 1835. The memorial marks the final chapter of his life for the people of Meghalaya.
The state previously asked the new Bangladesh administration to fix the site. Officials in Shillong view the destruction as a major blow to their history. They hope to keep his memory alive at the very place he died 190 years ago.
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