UKHRUL: Thadou Inpi Manipur (TIM) has urged members of the Thadou community to register through its online portal to affirm their distinct identity, while accusing the state government of using “Kuki” or “Kuki-Zo” as a blanket term for non-Naga tribes in Manipur.
In a media release issued on Friday, TIM criticised the state government’s outreach to Kuki, Zomi, Hmar and other representatives, alleging that the Thadou community had been excluded from the process despite being represented by the organisation.
TIM questioned the government’s approach of engaging the Zomi Council and Hmar Inpui separately while using “Kuki” or “Kuki-Zo” as an umbrella term for multiple communities. It said the approach reflected a lack of clarity over the term “Kuki” and undermined the distinct identity of the Thadou community.
The organisation also alleged that the government’s approach risked associating the Thadou with a political movement advocating the division of Manipur, which it said was contrary to its position on the state’s territorial integrity.
TIM reiterated that it represented the Thadou community and not the Kuki, and cited the Joint Covenant of Community Understanding signed with the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), All Manipur United Clubs’ Organisation (AMUCO), Federation of Civil Society Organisations (FOCS) and Arambai Tenggol in Imphal on August 6, 2025, to promote peaceful coexistence.
The organisation said the understanding should be recognised and strengthened, adding that no similar agreement had been reached between the signatory organisations and the Zomi, Hmar, Mizo or Kuki civil society organisations.
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The TIM had learnt that individuals from the Thadou, Kuki, Zomi, Hmar and Mizo communities had been visiting Imphal for transit, medical treatment and other purposes without its knowledge or authorisation. It clarified that TIM and other Manipur civil society organisations had no organisational association with such visits and would not be responsible for the individuals’ movements or conduct.
It then expressed concern over Thadou individuals advocating a Union Territory or separate administration in the name of Kuki or Kuki-Zo, stating that they did not represent the Thadou community or TIM.
To affirm the community’s distinct identity, TIM said it had issued a standard operating procedure requiring Thadou members to register through its online portal, www.thadou.com.
TIM reaffirmed its commitment to dialogue and peace, maintaining that the Thadou community should be represented through the organisation rather than through what it described as proxies or self-appointed representatives.
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