KIM claim infuriates Thadou student body
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, February 28 2024:
Thadou Students' Association (TSA) has taken strong exception to the "ridiculous" statement of Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) issued on February 24 regarding "stage-managed amalgamation of non-existent Thadou Tribe Council (TTC) Churachandpur and Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) and re-inclusion of one of its cognate tribes Thadou in the constituent body of KIM" .
In a statement, TSA said that the KIM statement underscored display of desperate attempts to mislead the community, while asserting that Thadou tribe had never ever been included in the constituent body of KIM, and Thadou tribe never been part of KIM.
So, the question of re-inclusion of Thadou in KIM does not even arise.
TSA reiterated that apex body of Thadou tribe, Thadou National Council was renamed Thadou Tribe Council in 1992 and Thadou Inpi (TI) in 2015 at the Thadou Conclave Delhi, subsequently ceasing existence of Thadou Tribe Council (TTC) .
On January 12, 2024, TSA had issued a media statement denouncing the reported fake formation of TTC in Churachandpur by some vested interested groups.
TSA knew the reported formation of fake non-existent TCC Churachandpur was orchestrated by some anti-social, anti-Thadou elements with the intention to create confusion and another communal tension in the community.
Thadou Inpi, apex body of the tribe, had declared at the Delhi conclave in 2015 that Thadou Tribe and Thadou bodies under the Thadou Inpi are not under Kuki Inpi but will work for unity together with sister tribes (Unao/Zo) .
TSA also reiterated that Thadou tribe will continue to strive for unity with other cognate Zo tribes, including Mizo, Zomi and Hmar.
"The controversial term Kuki' may be applicable only to the new tribe so-called universal and controversial Any Kuki tribes' that came to existence out of nowhere in Manipur only in 2003, and this needs a proper scrutiny by all concerned.
Kuki Inpi is viewed as, and it actually is, the apex body of the Any Kuki tribes (AKT) of 2003, and its claim to be the apex body of the whole Kuki tribes is a lie and far from reality," the TSA statement said.
It is an undeniable fact that Kuki Inpi is not an apex body of cognate tribes.
It has not even a single constituent tribe body in it other than the controversial Any Kuki tribes' itself and Kuki organisations themself.
Zomi or Zomi Council is a collective nomenclature or body of cognate tribes such as Paite, Vaiphei, Simte, Gangte, Sukte, Mate, Kom and Zou.
They don't identify as Kuki and they are not part of Kuki Inpi.
Hmar or Mizo also don't identify as Kuki, it added.
Thadou tribe is not, and cannot be, part of this controversial Kuki or Kuki Inpi, TSA said while adding that Kuki Inpi and other Kuki organisations should stop trying to interfere in the affairs of Thadou tribe by issuing misleading statements that seek to falsely portray the community as under the so-called Kuki tribe (any Kuki tribes) or Kuki Inpi.
There is a need for mutual respect and understanding especially at this difficult time of on-going violence in the state.
Kuki Inpi or any other organisations or individuals should stop taking undue advantage of the current unfortunate situation to belittle or subjugate another tribe or community, TSA cautioned.
The term Thadou-Kuki' is an imposed name to the Thadou and these should also be not used to refer to Thadou tribe because the term is misleading as if Thadou is under Kuki tribe, which is not the case, it continued.
Thadou is a distinct native or indigenous tribe of Manipur, and it is consistently the largest (scheduled) tribe of Manipur since the first census of India in 1881 till the most recent census in 2011 with a population of 2,16,000 .
It is an autonomous entity as a distinct tribe.
Thadou should not be confused with Kuki or any Kuki tribes of 2003 that has a population of 28,000 per the 2011 census record.
Thadous maintain their distinct identity as a tribe wherever they are within India and abroad.
There are Thadou diaspora societies in different countries, and they have their own community organisations to maintain their unique identity, culture and community, social and spiritual bonding within a multicultural setting, TSA said while urging all members of Thadou community and others in Manipur and elsewhere not to be misled but remain vigilant of anti-social, anti-Thadou elements and their activities, and to stay calm and always uphold God-given Thadou identity.
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