Guwahati:

The Thadou tribe in what its leaders called a “historic” event released a 10-point declaration to protect the tribe’s distinct identity and heritage amid the ethnic crisis in Manipur, the organisers of the Thadou Convention held in Assam’s Guwahati said in a statement.

Leaders and delegates of the Thadou tribe from across the country and abroad, and leaders of Mizoram-based organisations attended the event, the organisers said, adding they released a 10-point declaration and a 9-point resolution after the event.

The Thadou Convention’s declaration on the first of the two-day event emphasised on the tribe’s distinct ethnic identity having its own language, culture, traditions, and history.

“Thadou is not Kuki, or underneath Kuki, or part of Kuki, but a separate, independent entity from Kuki… Thadou is one of the original 29 native/indigenous tribes of Manipur, India, that were all simultaneously and duly recognised as independent Scheduled Tribes of Manipur under the 1956 Presidential Order, Government of India,” the declaration stated.

“Thadous have always been known and recorded as Thadou, without any prefix or suffix to it, and it has been the single-largest tribe in Manipur consistently since the first census of India in 1881 till the latest census in 2011 that recorded Thadou population at 2,15,913. Any Kuki Tribes (AKT) had a population of 28,342 in the latest Manipur census in 2011, the first time Kuki was ever recorded in a census,” it stated.

The Thadou Convention said it has decided to form several councils and groups following many rounds of discussions and deliberations. These are tentatively Thadou Inpi Mizoram, Thadou Chiefs’ Council, Thadou Human Rights Advocacy, Thadou Academic Society (TAS), and Thadou Elders’ (Upalom) Association (TEA).

READ | ‘Don’t Club Us With Others,’ Says Manipur’s Thadou Tribe, Waits For Peace Plan

The leaders and delegates at the Thadou Convention have agreed to place a demand for recognition of the Thadou tribe as a separate and distinct Scheduled Tribe in Assam, Mizoram, and Nagaland.

“The convention calls upon all, including government authorities, media, civil societies, academics, all other communities and international organisations, to correctly and respectfully identify Thadou as Thadou, with no prefix or suffix to it, to stop imposition of Kuki or referring to Thadous as Kuki, and to make the needed rectifications,” the convention said in the statement.

The convention also agreed to form the new body Thadou Inpi Manipur (TIM) immediately, adhering to the Thadou Inpi Constitution as a unified top body of the Thadou tribe of Manipur. “This will enable Thadou to get back its original position of dignity and respect by all communities in Manipur,” it said in the statement.

During the two-day convention, the Thadou leaders and delegates in a statement said they reject and condemn “all colonial and post-colonial connotations and writings that gave rise to misidentification of Thadou as Kuki and continued imposition of Kuki on Thadou.”

“… The convention demands posthaste removal of the fake Kuki tribe (Any Kuki Tribes/AKT) – designed for any people from anywhere in the world – that came into being fraudulently in 2003 for political reasons. Removal of AKT from the Scheduled Tribes list is in the larger interest of the Indian nation and of the indigenous/native tribes and people, and this will do great justice and right the wrong, and is critical to solving or preventing related problems now and in the future,” the convention said in the statement on Saturday.

READ | “Kuki-Zo” Wrong Term To Describe Us, Say 3 Manipur MLAs From Different Tribes

The Thadou Community International (TCI) in an open letter on August 8 addressed to Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh had drawn his attention to the tribe’s “inaccurate” reference by leaders and the media, and sought his cooperation to spread awareness that “the Thadou tribe is distinct and any confusion with other tribes surmount to being racist, abusive, disrespectful, traumatising and it puts the Thadoi tribe in poor light”.

The TCI’s statement was significant as peace talks in violence-hit Manipur cannot proceed without accepting the genuinity of identities – though contested – amid the simmering tension between the valley-dominant Meitei community and the nearly two dozen tribes dominant in some hill districts of Manipur.

The Chief Minister on August 4 had said he met representatives of several small tribes and heard their concerns about bigger tribes trying to suppress their identities. Mr Singh in a post on X had said the smaller tribes strongly condemned alleged forgery by a man identified as Paominlen Haokip, who allegedly used fake signatures of the smaller tribes’ representatives in a complaint to the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST).

READ | “Major Tribes Trying To Suppress Small Tribes’ Identities”: Manipur Chief Minister

“Representatives of various small tribes called on me to raise their concerns about major tribes attempting to suppress their identities. During the meeting, they expressed their strong condemnation regarding a complaint filed by one Paominlen Haokip to the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST), in which their signatures were forged, making them parties to the complaint without their consent,” the Chief Minister had said.

Imphal/Guwahati:

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and other leaders have condemned the attack on the house of a BJP spokesperson from the Thadou tribe in the state’s Churachandpur district.

Over two dozen people, some of them armed, had vandalised the house of the state BJP spokesperson T Michael Lamjathang Haokip on Sunday night. They fired shots in the air and set two rooms on fire, Mr Haokip had said, adding no one was injured. Four families displaced by the violence in Manipur also live in four small structures at his family plot, he said.

“The attack carried out on the family members of Michael Lamjathang, a leader of the Thadou community, the oldest among the ethnic tribes of Manipur, as well as a BJP spokesperson by vandalising his house was an act of cowardice,” the Chief Minister said in a post on X.

“I consider this personal harm being put on one of our recognised tribes as a direct challenge to the unity and integrity of the state,” Mr Singh said. “Attacks on any particular community of the recognised tribes of Manipur, as well as the attack on the family of the BJP spokesperson are condemned in the strongest terms. We will initiate appropriate legal action against the culprits,” he said.

The attack carried out on the family members of Micheal Lamjathang a leader of the Thadou community, the oldest among the ethnic tribes of Manipur, as well as a BJP spokesperson by vandalizing his house was an act of cowardice.

I consider this personal harm being put on one of…

— N. Biren Singh (@NBirenSingh) August 26, 2024

State minister Govindas Konthoujam said the attack on Mr Haokip exposed “the mentality of those who, unable to engage in logical debate, resort to violence.” “… This cowardly act of violence against his home and family is not just an assault on an individual, but on the entire Thadou community and our civilization,” the seven-time MLA from Bishnupur said in a post on X.

1/2 I strongly condemn the barbaric attack on Thadou student leader & BJP Manipur Spokesperson Michael Lamjathang Haokip in Peniel village, Churachandpur. This cowardly act of violence against his home & family is not just an assault on an individual, but on the

— Govindas Konthoujam (@KonthoujamG) August 26, 2024

Mr Haokip on Tuesday said he has been raising awareness about his tribe, Thadou, being inaccurately referred to as a Kuki tribe amid the ethnic tension in Manipur. He said it was the second time his house in Churachandpur was attacked, allegedly by some people who do not accept the Thadou tribe’s distinct identity.

“Around 30 people barged in at 10.30 pm. They poured kerosene on the walls and burned two rooms. They also fired many rounds in the air to scare our neighbours and other residents in the neighbourhood,” Mr Haokip told NDTV. “Everybody in the area is angry at the attackers,” he said.

Mr Haokip belongs to the family of a Thadou tribe village chief, under whose area some 70 families live in as many houses. Apart from their main family house, there are four small structures on the plot where people displaced by the ethnic violence are living.

“The attackers also threatened the displaced people to leave,” Mr Haokip said.

The attack at the Churachandpur house of the BJP spokesperson from the Thadou tribe comes days after three MLAs from among the 10, who have been demanding a separate administration carved out of Manipur, clarified that they want their own tribes to be called by their correct names, instead of being associated only with the term “Kuki-Zo”.

On social media, the three MLAs have received threats of boycott and other “consequences” for allegedly weakening the Kuki tribes’ resolve to persuade the Centre to create a separate administration. One of the BJP MLAs told NDTV everyone should feel free to state facts about the tribe they belong to. “I fail to understand why threats are coming my way for simply saying to which tribe I and the people I represent belong,” the leader told NDTV, requesting anonymity.

Mr Haokip is also a leadership team member of the Manipur-based Thadou Students’ Association (TSA) and the newly formed Thadou Community International, or TCI, a global body with professionals from the Thadou tribe living in nine countries including the US, the UK, Norway, Australia, and Malaysia, among others, as members. The TCI in a statement said the attack happened barely a few hours after Mr Haokip participated in a panel discussion in local media on the topic ‘Kuki supremacy and its agenda.’

“It was also an incident due to the fallout of relentless attacks on Thadou community and Thadou leaders by the Churachandpur-based Kuki supremacist-made fake Thadou Tribe Council (TTC), who have been actively engaging in disinformation campaign and violent rhetoric against Thadou, even boasting to know the perpetrators of the violent attack on Michael Lamjathang’s home last year,” the TCI said.

On August 5, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh had met representatives of several small tribes and heard their concerns about bigger tribes trying to suppress their identities.

During the discussion and voting on demands for grants on the last day of the Manipur assembly session on August 12, the Chief Minister had said “violence was perpetrated by some, not all, people.”

“Not every Thadou, Paite, Hmar had a hand in the violence. You have seen, Hmar people spoke so well (in the peace meeting), we had tears, they too had tears, that all this happened due to misunderstandings,” Mr Singh said, referring to the August 1 peace meeting between Meitei and the Hmar tribe representatives in Jiribam, where they agreed to work for normalcy nearly two months after ethnic violence that began over a year ago reached the district bordering Assam.

Imphal/Guwahati/New Delhi:

Days after the Thadou Tribe Council (TTC) denied any knowledge of Manipur Chief Minister Biren Singh’s outreach for peace talks in the violence-hit state, a global body of the Thadou tribe has alleged the TTC is run by “Kuki supremacists” to spread “anti-Thadou disinformation and cause confusion and misunderstanding in the community.”

During a discussion and voting on demands for grants on the last day of the Manipur assembly session on August 12, the Chief Minister had said they have been working to invite Thadou and Hmar leaders to Imphal (state capital) for peace talks.

The TTC in a statement on August 14 had alleged Mr Singh’s statement in the assembly was an attempt to mislead the people of Manipur. While not denying it wants peace, the TTC said justice and sustainable political solution were mandatory before peace can be secured – indicating it was not ready for talks yet.

The Thadou Community International (TCI), however, on Saturday in a statement questioned the TTC’s aversion to talks, and alleged the TTC is a group that is “at best confined to Churachandpur Tuibong area and controlled by some Kuki supremacists”.

“The claim of TTC-GHQ (general headquarters) that it is the apex body of the Thadou tribe is ridiculous and laughable as TTC was renamed as Thadou Inpi at the Thadou Conclave Declaration, 2015 and since then TTC ceased to exist,” the Thadou Community International said in the statement.

“Following the news of the formation of the fake TTC in Churachandpur in January this year, Thadou Inpi and TSA (Thadou Students Association) have issued clarifications about the non-existence and fakeness of the so-called TTC, asking the anti-Thadou propagandists to stop their disinformation,” the TCI said.

The Thadou Community International had welcomed the Chief Minister’s statement in the assembly that all communities have been working hard to bring peace in the ethnic violence-hit state, except for a few agenda-driven leaders who have been misleading the people of the state.

The Thadou Community International in the statement said the TCI was formed by “genuine people from the Thadou tribe from every nook and corner of the world, including the US, the UK, Norway, Australia, Myanmar, India, Singapore, Macau, and Malaysia.” It said it has two conveners and 30 executive members from the countries where members of the Thadou tribe are settled.

The TTC – which objected to the Chief Minister’s peace plan – in its latest statement criticised the Thadou Community International as a bogus entity formed by some non-resident Thadou individuals in collusion with Mr Singh himself.

The Thadou Community International has refuted the TTC’s allegations. It said the TCI has been working to draw attention to the tribe’s “inaccurate” reference by leaders and the media as “Kuki”, and has sought to spread awareness that “the Thadou tribe is distinct and any confusion with other tribes surmount to being racist, abusive, disrespectful, traumatising and it puts the Thadou tribe in poor light”.

Tension lingers over a year since clashes began between the valley-dominant Meitei community and the nearly two dozen tribes dominant in some hill districts of Manipur. Over 220 have died and nearly 50,000 have been internally displaced.

The general category Meiteis want to be included under the Scheduled Tribes category, while the nearly two dozen tribes that share ethnic ties with people in neighbouring Myanmar’s Chin State and Mizoram want a separate administration carved out of Manipur, citing discrimination and unequal share of resources and power with the Meiteis.

Imphal/Guwahati/New Delhi:

A top global body of the Thadou tribe has welcomed Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh’s statement in the assembly that all communities are working hard to bring peace in the ethnic violence-hit state, except for a few agenda-driven leaders who are misleading the people of the state.

The Thadou Community International (TCI) in an open letter on August 8 addressed to Mr Singh had drawn his attention to the tribe’s “inaccurate” reference by leaders and the media, and sought his cooperation to spread awareness that “the Thadou tribe is distinct and any confusion with other tribes surmount to being racist, abusive, disrespectful, traumatising and it puts the Thadoi tribe in poor light”.

“We humbly request you to consider making a statement in the sixth session of the 12th Manipur legislative assembly, acknowledging our concerns and supporting our proposition,” the TCI said in the letter.

Ground For Peace Talks

The TCI’s statement is significant as peace talks in violence-hit Manipur cannot proceed without accepting the genuinity of identities – though contested – amid the simmering tension between the valley-dominant Meitei community and the nearly two dozen tribes dominant in some hill districts of Manipur.

While the Kukis – a term given by the British in colonial times – claim to represent the interests of these two dozen tribes, the TCI says Thadou is the single-largest tribe in Manipur per the 2011 Census, and only belongs to the “larger family group called the Zo/Mizo conglomerate”, not Kuki.

During the discussion and voting on demands for grants on the last day of the 6th session of the 12th Manipur assembly on August 12, the Chief Minister had said “violence was perpetrated by some, not all, people.”

“Not every Thadou, Paite, Hmar had a hand in the violence. You have seen, Hmar people spoke so well (in the peace meeting), we had tears, they too had tears, that all this happened due to misunderstandings,” Mr Singh said, referring to the August 1 peace meeting between Meitei and the Hmar tribe representatives in Jiribam, where they agreed to work for normalcy nearly two months after ethnic violence that began over a year ago reached the district bordering Assam.

“We agreed that we all face the menace of drugs and illegal immigrants, who want to destroy the old settlers. Despite the huge pressure they get, they are talking to us now. Thadous have also come on board for talks. We are working to invite Thadou and Hmar leaders to Imphal (state capital). No one can say anything to the old settlers. We already have 1961 as the base year. It is only those who came after 1961 who are creating trouble,” Mr Singh said in the assembly.

“We are not enemies. Our Hmar brothers and sisters, Thadou brothers and sisters have reciprocated well. My colleagues are also reaching out to other communities. I would like to tell the people of Manipur that we are trying very hard to bring peace to Manipur. We need the people’s support.

“The Union government and the Manipur government have already started work on the core issues raised by the people. Anyone can come to me for documentary proof of the work being done. Please do not believe in lies spread by those who play politics, who play with emotions. Do not listen to those who are spiteful for losing power after ruling for 15-20 years.

“Our Naga brothers and sisters who are present here are also working very hard for peace for all communities,” the Chief Minister said in the assembly.

“Any Kuki Tribe” Controversy

Manipur BJP spokesperson T Michael Lamjathang Haokip, who belongs to the Thadou tribe, told NDTV they have been requesting the state government to ask the Centre for removing the term “Any Kuki Tribes” from the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list.

The demand for this deletion has merits due to the potential of this particular tribe being misused by any group of people from any culture anywhere in the world at the cost of the indigenous or native people, the TCI said in a statement on August 14.

“Whereas Thadou is an indigenous tribe with its own distinct language, costumes, culture, traditions and rich heritage and history, ‘Any Kuki tribe’ was created in 2002, and fraudulently added to the Scheduled Tribes list of Manipur in 2003, so that their leaders could exploit this separatist movement for their own personal wealth creation and political control,” the TCI alleged.

“There has been enough bloodshed. It is time all tribes and communities come together for talks. We need to identify the few troublemakers who have been misleading people,” Mr Haokip said.

Over 220 have died and nearly 50,000 have been internally displaced in Manipur. The general category Meiteis want to be included under the Scheduled Tribes category, while the nearly two dozen tribes that share ethnic ties with people in neighbouring Myanmar’s Chin State and Mizoram want a separate administration carved out of Manipur, citing discrimination and unequal share of resources and power with the Meiteis.