Respect Thadou identity: TCI
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, August 08 2024: In an open letter addressed to chief minister N Biren and the people of Manipur, the Thadou community in India and worldwide has called for respectful and accurate use of their identity.

The letter, issued by Thadou Community International (TCI), emphasised the importance of being referred to solely as "Thadou" without any prefix or suffix, underscoring the significance of their name to their heritage and future.

The letter expressed deep sympathy for the victims of the tragic violence that erupted in the state on May 3, 2023, which they claimed disproportionately impacted the Thadous.

While acknowledging recent improvement in the situation, TCI highlighted the ongoing need for resettlement, healing, and the establishment of lasting peace in the state.

The letter underlined the state's status as a multi-ethnic society, home to various communities including the Meetei, Meitei-Pangal, and 29 linguistic and cultural tribes.

These tribes are officially recognised in the Scheduled Tribes Lists Modification Order, 1956, and are considered indigenous people under the ILP Rules, 2022 .

The community also appreciated the state government's commitment to honouring the diversity of Manipur through initiatives such as the construction of tribal museums and ethnic huts at the Sahgai Ethnic Park in Moirang.

The Thadou community takes great pride in their rich heritage and history, the letter said while noting that they have always been recorded as "Thadou" in all censuses of Manipur since 1881, with a population of 215,913 according to the 2011 census.

As the single largest tribe in Manipur, Thadous insist on being correctly referred to by their proper name, TCI said while stressing that any deviation from this undermines their unique identity and indignity.

The letter highlighted that the Thadou tribe is distinct and that any confusion with other tribes is viewed as racist, abusive, and disrespectful.

The community emphasised that being misnamed is not only traumatising but also puts the Thadou tribe in a negative light.

They asserted their belonging to the larger Zo/Mizo family group but firmly rejected any name-calling beyond Zo/Mizo, which they perceive as a wilful and intentional insult to demean the Thadou tribe.

The Thadou Community International requested all individuals, elected members, organisations, media, and the government to refer to them exclusively as "Thadou." They also urged that other Zo/Mizo tribes be called by their proper names individually, and collectively as Zo/Mizo.

In conclusion, the Thadou community expressed hope that the letter will enlighten the public and lead to the respectful use of their proper name.

They also requested that the CM make a statement in the ongoing 6th Session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly, acknowledging their concerns and supporting their proposition for the correct usage of the Thadou name.

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