Rein in Kuki SoO groups of Assam: TCI
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 27 2025:
The Thadou Community International (TCI) has urged the Government to rein the Kuki SoO groups of Assam namely; Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA), United Kuki Defence Army (UKDA) and the Kuki Liberation Army (KLA) by reviewing the terms and conditions of the SoO agreement.
The TCI has also urged the Government to revoke the recognition of the Kuki Inpi Assam (KIA) .
According to a press release issued by the TCI, the Kuki Inpi Assam (KIA) issued an official diktat on March 18, 2025, on its letterhead to forbid the Thadous' celebration of Hun-Thadou Cultural Festival which is slated to be held at Guwahati on April 4, 2025 .
On March 25, 2025, another diktat was issued by so-called Kuki SoO groups of Assam, consisting of the KRA, UKDA and the KLA on their official letterhead signed by the general secretary of each group, ordering Thadous of Assam not to attend the Thadou Hun festival and for the organiser to cancel the event, threatening that they would award severe punishments to those failing to comply with the diktats.
In this connection, Thadou leaders have also been threatened and summoned personally by the Kuki SoO groups, it said.
"We condemn this act of terrorism against Thadou in the strongest terms.
This unconstitutional and illegal diktat by the KIA and the three Kuki armed groups is not only a serious violation of the human rights of the Thadou people, but also a direct assault on India, the Constitution and democracy", the TCI said.
Strongly rejecting and condemning this undue Kuki interference in Thadou cultural affairs, the TCI asserted that this is just another example of the evil and danger of Kuki supremacist agenda against Thadou people and the broader Indian Nation as a whole.
Thadous don't need Kuki permission to run their affairs.
Thadous celebrating their own cultural festival is none of Kuki's business.
"Thadou organisations have never interfered in Kuki internal affairs.
We believe in peaceful co-existence in the spirit of mutual respect and understanding", it said.
Taking strong exception to the KIA's statement where it says "Since National war in 2023, there is a standing order not to organize any festival other than the Assam Government-recognized 'Kuki Chavang Kut' festival, which was also celebrated only in name due to the National war", the TCI asked KIA to clarify what it means by 'National war' and which Nation is at war with which Nation, and if it considers Kuki as a separate Nation with a Constitution separate to India.
Denouncing the KIA statement "In the state of Assam, KIA has banned any separate identity that con-tests/threatens Kuki identity and we will continue to fight tooth and nail any such identity", the TCI questioned what authority and rights does the KIA have to ban Thadou identity in Assam, where indigenous Thadou has a long history, with the Assam Government-established Thadou institution called 'Thadou Mauzadar' been in existence since 1886 AD till now, and Thadou being one of the Scheduled Tribes of Assam.
'Hun-Thadou Cultural Festival', as the name explains itself, is a cultural festival of Thadou, not of Kuki.
It went on to ask, "How can the Thadou people celebrating their own cultural festival be a threat to Kuki identity? Is this because Kuki has no distinct cultural, ethnic identity of its own?' The TCI categorically stated that no Kuki organization, including the KIA and Kuki SoO groups, or any other organisations or groups have the right to claim authority over Thadou and to dictate the lives of Thadou people and Thadou cultural practices.
These latest incidents of issuing threats and diktats by Assam-based Kuki organisations against Thadou is not an isolated case but a part of the sustained Kuki radical ideology and the ongoing concerted, active Kuki campaign to suppress, control and annihilate Thadou under the pretext of Meitei-Kuki conflict, it said.
It then asked Kuki Inpi Assam and Kuki SoO groups of Assam to immediately retract their diktats/illegal orders against Thadou people celebrating the Thadou Hun festival, and respectfully cease all forms of interference in Thadou affairs.
The TCI also urged Government authorities to take appropriate actions according to the law of the land against the said Kuki organisations to allow the Thadou community of Assam to freely celebrate their cultural festival without fear of any harm by anyone.
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