Thadou leader who attended Imphal peace meet killed in Assam
Abrogate SoO pact: TIM, TCI, MHS, MA, TSA
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 31 2025: Demands to terminate the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement grow louder as the killing of a Thadou leader Nehkam Jomhao (59) in Assam by Kuki militant groups sparks widespread condemnation.

Nehkam Jomhao (59), chairman of the Thadou Literature Society Assam was a resident of Manja village in Karbi Anglong, Assam.

He was one of the 17 delegates who visited Imphal and held talks with different organisations advocating peace on August 6 last.

Six suspected Kuki militants have been arrested by Karbi Anglong police, sources said.

They have been identified as Samsom Kuki, Jangpu Hangsing, Mangeo Sitlhou, Thangmoi Hmar, Kakap Lienthang and another suspect.

Thadou leader who attended Imphal peace meet killed in Assam

According to reports, Nehkam Jomhao was abducted and later found dead, with his body mutilated and dumped in a river by Kuki militants near his residence at Manja, under Karbi Anglong in Assam.

The body is yet to be recovered despite extensive search operations by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) .

The river is in spate.

The Thadou Inpi Manipur (TIM) and Thadou Community International (TCI) demanded the immediate abrogation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) pact, citing the killing as targeted violence aimed at silencing the Thadou community.

The Thadou Inpi Manipur (TIM), Meitei Heritage Society (MHS), the Meetei Alliance (MA), and the Thadou Students' Association, General Headquarters (TSA-GHQ) also condemned the killing.

While MHS urged Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma to take prompt action and penalise the killers, TSA said that Nehkam Jomhao was targeted because of his courageous participation in the Imphal peace meeting between the Thadou and Meitei communities.

The Meitei Alliance, on the other hand, urged Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla to reject renewal of the SoO agreements with KNO and UPF citing repeated violation of ground rules.

TIM demands urgent action

In light of the escalating violence, the Thadou Inpi Manipur appealed to the Government of India and the State Governments of Assam and Manipur to take immediate and decisive action against the perpetrators of the killing, warning that it could spiral out of control and trigger another ethnic conflict.

Stating that the barbaric act was perpetrated by armed cadres from two Kuki militant groups, the Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA) and the United Kukigam Defence Army (UKDA), and was masterminded by UKDA chief Janglen Kipgen and KRA chief Janglun Hansing, TIM urged the Government to immediately abrogate the SoO agreement with the Kuki militant groups of Assam and Manipur and declare them as outlawed terrorist organizations.

Saying that Jomhao was tortured inside his home by suspected KRA cadres, members of a group under SoO agreement, it added that the victim fled to a neighbour's house for help unable to endure the torture.

The attackers pursued him and struck him with a machete at the back of his head, causing a massive haemorrhage, TIM said and added that the SoO cadres continued their assault, brutally beating him until his death.

The presence of KRA and UKDA camps directly within Manja village is a serious breach of peace.

By settling militants in a civilian population area, the Government's policy has created a climate of danger and instability, TIM asserted.

These groups have proven they are not interested in peace and their actions represent a clear threat to National security and community harmony, it said.

It is believed that some of the assailants, including the cadre who used the machete, travelled from Manipur and Nagaland with the specific intent to murder Jomhao, and this fact, it claimed, establishes a clear and undeniable link, confirming that the brutal act is an extension of the ongoing violence in Manipur.

TIM demanded that a thorough and swift investigation be launched into the murder and bring all perpetrators, including the mastermind commanders, to justice.

Saying that the murder of Nehkam Jomhao is a grim reminder of the danger of radical Kuki extremism and violence perpetrated by Kuki extremist groups, it urged the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to immediately take over the investigation.

The Thadou people can no longer live under the constant threat of the "rule of the gun," it said, further urging the Government to protect the Thadou community and individuals from further violence and intimidation.

The actions of Kuki militant groups include inciting hatred, murder, beheading, and celebrating the murder of innocent people and it demonstrates a complete disregard for human life and a supremacist ideology that poses a fundamental threat to regional peace, TIM said.

Saying that the rise of Kuki radical ideology in the 1970s, followed by Kuki militancy in the late 1980s, ushered in an era of violence, toxic identity-based politics, and severe human rights violations against the Thadou community, TIM said that this aggression continues to threaten 'our people' and regional stability.

Nehkam Jomhao sacrificed his life standing up to protect Thadou heritage and advocating for peace and his courage will not be in vain, TIM said.

"Jomhao's murder is not an isolated incident.

It is the tragic culmination of a series of threats he received from Kuki groups, including the Kuki National Assembly and Kuki militants," TIM said.

TIM also said that the inaction of the Government has emboldened these Kuki groups to continue their violent and criminal behaviour with impunity, creating a climate of terror and hatred.

Cold blooded, says TCI

The Thadou Community International (TCI), in a press release, condemned the act as a 'cold blooded murder' and demanded immediate registration of cases and arrest of all perpetrators responsible for the killing, full security for Thadou community leaders and families in Assam and Manipur, immediate abrogation of the SoO agreements with Kuki militant groups and recognition of the incident as an attempt at cultural genocide against the Thadou people.

"The Thadou Community International (TCI) strongly condemns the cold-blooded murder of Pu Nehkam Jomhao (59), Chairman of the Thadou Literature Society, Assam, who was abducted, tortured, and killed by armed Kuki militants on 30th August 2025 at his residence at Manja, Karbi Anglong, Assam," TCI said.

Saying that the Thadou people have faced relentless suppression and persecution for decades, particularly at the hands of militant groups aligned with Kuki organisations, TCI said that the assassination of Nehkam Jomhao, a respected intellectual and peace advocate, is not an isolated act of violence but part of a long-standing pattern of targeted oppression, intimidation, and cultural genocide against the Thadou tribal Christian community.

It further said that this tragedy has exposed the failure of governance and the dangerous appeasement of Kuki militant groups under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement in both Assam and Manipur.

Continuing that Kuki militant groups have repeatedly misused their position to wage war, suppress indigenous voices, and impose a reign of terror, TCI added that such an impunity is unacceptable in a sovereign, democratic Nation like India. Saying that Kuki militant groups have shown no interest in peace but instead use violence to silence other indigenous communities, TCI urged the Government to abrogate the SoO pact.

Reject extension of SoO

Condemning the killing of the Thadou leader, the Meetei Alliance (MA) urged the Governor to reject the renewal of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement.

In a statement, the Alliance said that Nehkam Jomhao was targeted and killed in cold blood by Kuki militants for attending the historic "Road to Peace" meeting in Imphal.

Saying that his tireless efforts to bridge divides and foster harmony had invited repeated threats and intimidation from KNA and other anti-peace militant groups linked to Kuki militant groups under SoO agreements, the MA said that the killing of the Thadou leader was an attack on peace, dialogue, and the very idea of coexistence in Manipur and the North East India.

At the same time, it is deeply disturbing that the Government of India is negotiating with Kuki militant groups to renew the SoO agreements, the Alliance said and added that the purpose of SoO was to reduce violence and bring peace.

Yet, far from upholding this mandate, KNO and UPF cadres have persistently violated the ground rules, and are widely accused of orchestrating and fuelling the current Manipur crisis, it said.

The Alliance further said that the Government had recommended not to renew the SoO agreement, which expired in February 2024, precisely because of repeated violations of the ground rules by the Kuki armed groups.

In the absence of a popular Government, any move to renew or re-sign these agreements with groups who openly target community leaders and peacebuilders is not only unconstitutional but morally indefensible, it said.

The Alliance urged the Governor to reject renewal of the SoO agreements with KNO and UPF, and rein in the antipeace militant groups of Assam linked to KNO and UPF.

It urged the Governor to ensure the immediate prosecution of those responsible for the murder of Jomhao, restore the rule of law by holding militant groups accountable for repeated violations, safeguard the democratic and Constitutional rights of all communities in Manipur and ensure the safety and security of Thadou people, particularly those who attended the August 6 meeting in Imphal.

The Alliance also appealed to the Governor to explore the possibility of bringing Jomhao's body to Imphal for burial.

Saying that the cold-blooded murder of Nehkam Jomhao has exposed the futility and danger of protecting militant groups under flawed agreements, the Alliance cautioned that continuing down this path will only embolden violence and silence voices of peace.

The people of Manipur deserve a Government and institutions that stand for their security, dignity, and future�not for the impunity of armed groups, it said.

A visionary leader: TSA

TSA-GHQ recognised Nehkam Jomhao as a Thadou martyr whose life was sacrificed in the noble path of truth, unity and peace.

Mourning the demise, TSA said that Nehkam Jomhao was murdered in cold blood by Kuki militants for participating in the peace meeting held in Imphal.

"His stand for dialogue and reconciliation displeased Kuki militants who opposed peace and understanding," it said, demanding justice.

TSA further said that the contribution of Nehkam Jomhao will inspire generations of Thadou youths to stand firm for education, culture and peace against violence and oppression.

Extending its condolence to the bereaved family, TSA prayed for the departed soul to rest in peace.