TCI hails covenant of community understanding
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, August 06 2025: Extending wholehearted support to "The Road to Peace in Manipur", a covenant of community understanding between the Thadou and Meetei communities hosted by Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) in Imphal on Wednesday, Thadou Community International (TCI) said the historic agreement between Thadou Inpi Manipur (the apex body of the Thadou tribe in Manipur) and COCOMI-led valley-based CSOs marks a significant step towards community understanding and peace following the tragic violence that began on May 3, 2023 .

TCI commended both Thadou and Meetei leaders for their tireless pursuit of dialogue and understanding, stating that the covenant is a powerful testament to the strength and resilience of the Thadou people, who have a long history of seeking peaceful coexistence with their neighbours.

As one of the largest and longest-surviving indigenous tribes in the region, the Thadou people have been deeply impacted by recent ethnic conflicts.

However, they remain committed to truth, justice, and nonviolent resolution, said TCI in a statement issued to the media.

Informing that TCI has actively supported initiatives to restore peace in the state since the violence began.

It said the new covenant is the result of persistent efforts by peace-loving, brave community leaders, in-spite an earlier attempt to hold a similar meeting between Thadou Inpi and COCOMI on May 6, 2023, thwarted by anti-peace extremist elements, even though momentum for dialogue continued despite many hurdles.

Recounting that the path to the Imphal covenant included a crucial first official meeting in New Delhi on March 7, 2025, between Thadou Inpi Manipur and the Meitei Alliance, followed by subsequent meetings between the two organisations and other groups, TCI disclosed that a key aspect of the covenant was the official recognition of the distinct Thadou identity, as declared at the Thadou Convention 2024, that Thadou is not Kuki, neither underneath nor part of Kuki, but an independent Indigenous people.

"For too long, the Thadou people have faced the suppression of our unique culture and heritage under the imposed foreign term "Kuki" .

TCI is pleased that this event rectifies this historical injustice and affirms the Thadou people's rightful position as a separate and distinct ethnic group," it said, praising leaders of Thadou Inpi Manipur for their wisdom and courageous dedication in advocating for the best interests of the Thadou people.

It also called upon all other communities and organisations in Manipur to acknowledge and respect the Thadou Declaration 2024 .

TCI also urged the people of Manipur to recognise the challenges posed by the "Any Kuki Tribes" (AKT) designation, added to the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list of Manipur in 2003, cautioning that this category threatens the integrity of not only the Thadou tribe but the entire indigenous population of Manipur, along with their distinct identities and cultures.

"We call for a collective effort to remove the AKT from the ST list.

Individuals included under the AKT but belonging to a legitimate scheduled tribe of Manipur should return to their original tribes to which they belonged before 2003" .

Describing the historic covenant a new beginning for Manipur, TCI expressed belief that with mutual respect and dignity, all communities can live together peacefully.

"Let this agreement pave the way for a new Manipur where every community feels safe, respected, and their integrity is protected," stated the TCI .

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