The Thadou Community International (TCI) on Wednesday responded to the statement reportedly issued by Kuki National Fring (KNF) regarding Thadou Convention’s declarations and stated that KNF’s remarks were uncalled for in a civilised society.
A release stated that the Thadou Convention’s declaration on Thadou distinct identity was made in view of alleged rampant and widespread “Kuki supremacy, intimidation, suppression, coercion, control, human rights violations and extreme actions like physical violence and death penalty by Kuki militants and Kuki supremacists against Thadous.”
The allegation of the declaration of Thadou not being Kuki is an attempt to divide the community, is without any merit or basis, it asserted. It asserted that Kuki Tribes (AKT) was allegedly fraudulently added to the list of Scheduled Tribes of Manipur in 2003 for political reasons and added that Kuki is not accepted by any of the non-Naga tribes in the state, except AKT.
It lamented that people claiming to represent the Thadou tribe are now allegedly indulging in suppressing the voice of self-assertion in the name of faux unity. The idea of Kuki being an umbrella organisation of kindred tribes has dissipated and became irrelevant a long time ago and remains a utopian dream, it lambasted.
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It claimed that kindred tribes like Paite, Vaiphei, Zou, Simte etc have identified themselves under the collective nomenclature Zomi, which is not a tribe, or the name of a particular tribe. Tribes under the collective Zomi nomenclature and Hmar tribe all exist as distinct independent tribes but not Kuki, it stated.
It further pointed out that the term ‘Kuki-Zo’ is ambiguous as it allegedly deviates from the unilateral stance of one Kuki as it does not define the components of the two hyphenated words. It went on to say that the Zomi, Hmar and Mizo brethren did not accept the post-May 3, 2023 term ‘Kuki-Zo’.
It also decried KNF’s statement that translates as “We are currently still fighting a war, we do not want to take extreme actions or kidnapping, death penalty etc within the community.”
The same implies threats and intimidation against Thadous to denounce their distinct identity from Kuki, but to be Kuki or accept Kuki, or else face dire consequences, it condemned.
Any rhetoric or narrative that mis-portrays Thadou and other kindred tribes as Kuki, or a part of Kuki, is an attempt to impose Kuki on non-Kuki tribes and is simply another example of Kuki supremacy and its agenda against the original 29 tribes or indigenous/native tribes and communities, who have each been recognised as a separate distinct tribe by the Government of India under the 1956 Presidential Order, it asserted.
It condemned the threats allegedly made by KNF to an unnamed Manipur State Government officer for remaining in Imphal, accusing him of doing his duty as a government employee as appeasing the Chief Minister of Manipur.
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‘If the KNF is bothered with the discharging of duties of a government employee, why not ask the 10 Zo tribal MLAs to withdraw from the government headed by the CM, which all the MLAs still support and are still part of. This is a self-contradictory stance and does not have a merit ground’, TCI stated.
It reiterated its stand on the Thadou Convention’s declaration and resolutions. It also urged all stakeholders to engage in constructive dialogue and work towards a harmonious resolution rather than spreading hatred and issuing threats.
Mention may be made that KNF issued a press communique dated November 4, which was circulated on social media against the declaration of the Thadou Convention that Thadou is not Kuki.
The release issued by Ministry of Information & Publicity, KNF H Stephen condemned the declaration of TCI that Thadou is not Kuki. It stated that Thadou, Gangte, Vaiphei, Paite, Simte, Hmar tribes are one and all of them are Kuki-Zo.
