Thadou tribe leaders, Meitei groups meet to pursue peace in Manipur
A closed-door meeting between representatives of the Thadou tribe and leaders of Meitei civil society organisations in Imphal on Wednesday (August 6, 2025) is seen as a significant step to restore peace in conflict-scarred Manipur.
This was the first time that members of the Thadou community stepped into the Meitei-dominated Imphal Valley after the conflict began on May 3, 2023, killing at least 250 people and displacing more than 60,000 people.
More than a dozen leaders of Thadou Inpi Manipur (TIM), the apex body of the Thadou tribe, attended the meeting with their counterparts in the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity, All Manipur United Clubs Organisation, Federation of Civil Society Organisations, and Arambai Tenggol.
The Thadous, considered a part of the greater Kuki group, were affected by the conflict between the Kuki-Zo and the Meitei communities. The Thadous, however, have been asserting their identity independent of the Kuki tag.
In a statement, the TIM said the meeting was on a 'community understanding programme' between the two sides. It claimed Kuki is a political ideology, not an ethnic identity.
'A major source of confusion between the Thadou tribe and those identifying as Kuki tribes arises from the similarities in attire and cultural expressions. However, it is crucial to understand that the Thadou tribe is a distinct indigenous identity, while the Kuki nomenclature, as used today, has become a politicised and ideological label,' the TIM stated.
It claimed that 'Kuki' has never been a historically indigenous community to Manipur.
'Foreign origins'
'The term Kuki has foreign origins, and those who adopt it today often do so to push a separatist and extremist ideology. Many who currently identify as Kuki are suspected illegal immigrants, having settled in Manipur in recent decades,' the TIM said.
It further stated that over time, church politics and religious affiliations played a significant role in misclassifying many members of the Thadou tribe as Kuki, creating further confusion and undermining the true identity of the Thadou people.
The organisation said this became a threat not only to the Thadou tribe, but also to the Meiteis, Meitei-Pangals (Muslims), other tribal communities and Manipur's unity as a whole.
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