Thadou Inpi team holds talks with CSOs, AT
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, August 06 2025: For the first time since outbreak of the violence between the Meetei and Kuki-Zo communities on May 3, 2023, a delegation of the Thadou Inpi, the apex body of Thadou tribe, arrived here on Wednesday and held dialogue with prominent civil society organisations, Arambai Tenggol and student bodies.

The 16-member Thadou Inpi delegation from Delhi and Guwahati led by president M James and advisor Michael Lamjathang landed at Imphal airport at about 9am, amid tight security arrangement at the airport and surrounding areas.

The delegation proceeded to Classic Hotel, North AOC where they were engaged in closed-door dialogues with CSOs, Arambai Tenggol and student leaders from 11 am till 6 pm .

Thadou Inpi team holds talks with CSOs, AT

While media access to the meeting hall was restricted, sources confirmed the Thadou Inpi side was represented by M James and Michael Lamjathang during the meeting attended by COCOMI convener Kh Athouba, FOCS president BM Yaima Shah, Arambai Tenggol spokesperson Munindro and AMUCO advisor Ito Tongbram as well as representatives of some student organisations.

Though details of the meeting could not be immediately ascertained, it is learnt that discussion centred on the violence since May, 2023, the present ground situation and steps toward restoring peace and harmony in the state.

Speaking to The People s Chronicle at the airport as well as after the meeting, Michael Lamjathang described as very emotional to be in Imphal after an absence of over two years due to the conflict.

Michael said he felt like returning to own land and very excited and emotional too.

He expressed elation over the warm reception accorded to the Thadou Inpi delegation by the CSOs, as it implied safety of Thadous in Imphal.

He also extended gratitude to the Meetei community for their reception.

Meanwhile, sources indicated that the Thadou Inpi delegation plans to remain in Imphal for two more days to continue their crucial discussions.

The closed-door meeting between representatives of the Thadou tribe and leaders of Meetei civil society organisations on Wednesday is seen as a significant step to restore peace in conflict-scarred Manipur.

This was the first time that members of the Thadou community stepped into the Meetei-dominated Imphal Valley after the conflict began on May 3, 2023, killing at least 250 people and displacing more than 60,000 people.

The Thadous, generally considered a part of the greater Kuki group, were affected by the conflict between the Kuki-Zo and the Meetei communities.

The Thadous, however, have been asserting their identity independent of the Kuki tag.

In a statement, the TIM said the meeting was on a "community understanding programme" between the two sides.

"This is a defining moment in our shared history.

Let us stand united in truth.

The path to lasting peace in Manipur begins with clarity of identity, rejection of extremism, and a renewed commitment to coexistence," it said.

It claimed Kuki is a political ideology, not an ethnic identity.

"A major source of confusion between the Thadou tribe and those identifying as Kuki tribes arises from the similarities in attire and cultural expressions.

However, it is crucial to understand that the Thadou tribe is a distinct indigenous identity, while the Kuki nomenclature, as used today, has become a politicised and ideological label," the TIM stated.

It claimed that 'Kuki' has never been a historically indigenous community to Manipur.

"The term Kuki has foreign origins, and those who adopt it today often do so to push a separatist and extremist ideology.

Many who currently identify as Kuki are suspected illegal immigrants, having settled in Manipur in recent decades," the TIM said.

It further stated that over time, church politics and religious affiliations played a significant role in misclassifying many members of the Thadou tribe as Kuki, creating further confusion and undermining the true identity of the Thadou people.

The organisation said this became a threat not only to the Thadou tribe, but also to the Meeteis, Meitei-Pangals (Muslims), other tribal communities and Manipur's unity as a whole.