Don't misrepresent identities of deceased Church leaders, TIM tells KIM
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 29 2026: The Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) must call off its proposed May 30 Nationwide rally, the Thadou Inpi Manipur (TIM) has said, accusing the Kula body of misrepresenting deceased Thadou Church leaders as members of "Kuki-Zo Church leaders" .

In a statement, TIM reiterated that the Church leaders killed in an ambush on May 13 were leaders of the Thadou Baptist Association India and were members of the Thadou community.

They were bom as Thadou.

They lived as Thadou, and they remained Thadou until their final breath.

Their lives, service, and sacrifice must be honoured with dignity and truth, free from political appropriation, identity distortion, or competing ethnic narratives, said TIM.

TIM said the Thadou people have been consistently asserting their distinct ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and historical identity.

The ongoing movement for recognition of Thadou identity, separate from Kuki, is grounded in truth, peace, democratic engagement, mutual respect, and the principle of community self-determination.

In this context, the identity and legacy of the Thadou Church leaders must not be subsumed under any Kuki political movement or fictitious umbrella identity such as "Kuki/Kuki-Zo" without the consent of the Thadou people and their institutions, TIM added.

As the Government of Manipur has handed over the case relating to the killing of the three Thadou Church leaders to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), all concerned should allow the competent authority to swiftly probe the incident without interference, speculation, or attempts to shape public opinion through political mobilisation, TIM said.

Meanwhile, KIM's proposed rally reflects a recurring pattern of exploiting public emotion and the suffering of the Thadou community to advance radical Kuki political ideology at the expense of Thadou identity and interests, it said.

It also asserted that the annual observance of "Kuki Black Day" on September 13 - through rallies and Church gatherings since the 1990s - has been used to radicalise sections of the public and deepen hostility not only against the Nagas, but also against the Thadou, Zomi, and others for political mobilisation and support.

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