Assam Thadou Tribe Chief Defends Manipur Peace Meet, Calls For Unity

A Thadou tribe chief of a village in Assam's Dima Hasao has strongly condemned threats and online abuse against him for attending an event themed on peace in Manipur's capital Imphal.

The event 'Road to Peace' held on August 6 marked the first meeting between Meitei community and Thadou tribe representatives in over two years since Meitei-Kuki ethnic clashes began.

Samuel Chonkholal Lhouvum, the chief of Khomunnom village in Assam's Dima Hasao district, in a statement on Sunday said he voluntarily participated in the event to endorse the people of Manipur acknowledging the Thadou tribe's distinct identity.

"No degree of online trolling, misinformation, or personal threats will deter me from upholding the Thadou's distinct identity or from supporting genuine peace initiatives in Manipur," he said.

"I call upon all concerned to refrain from provocative statements and to actively contribute towards the path of peaceful understanding," he added. "I wholeheartedly support this initiative on humanitarian grounds and affirm my unwavering commitment to this initiative."

During the event, the Thadou Inpi Manipur and Meitei civil society organisations like the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) agreed on the need to remove misunderstandings and work toward equity for all communities of the border state.

However, the Thadou Inpi Manipur's stand that Thadou is a distinct tribe and not part of the larger Kuki nomenclature has invited criticism from Kuki groups that assert the Thadou tribe is very much a part of the Kuki umbrella.

These Kuki groups are leading the call for a separate administration carved out of Manipur, which the Thadou Inpi Manipur do not support.

Mr Lhouvum, the Thadou tribe chief from Assam, said it "saddened" him to see Thadou people misidentified as Kuki - "leading to victimisation and silencing under both Kuki supremacist pressures and Meitei community anger."

"Despite the loss of lives and properties among my own kin and across all communities, I resolve to work towards genuine community understanding between the Thadou and Meitei peoples and others and I extend my deepest condolences and sympathy to all victims without distinction," he said.

After the 'Road to Peace' meeting in Imphal ended, posts on Kuki social media pages and accounts threatened "action" against Mr Lhouvum.

A number of Kuki insurgents operate in some pockets of Assam under different banners including United Kukigam Defence Army (UKDA), Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA-Assam), and Kuki Liberation Army (KLA-Assam).

"Following two years of consistent effort, the leadership of Thadou Inpi Manipur successfully convened the Road to Peace covenant of understanding meeting. Upon learning of this historic development, I voluntarily requested to participate, as leaders from Thadou Inpi Dima Hasao, Thadou Inpi Karbi Anglong, and Thadou Inpi Assam were also invited to attend," Mr Lhouvum said.

Mr Lhouvum said his village, Khomunnom, has been covered by Thadou Mauzadar (established in 1886) under the NC Hills Autonomous Council in Dima Hasao district.

"My ancestors have been born Thadou and have died Thadou. The Thadou are a distinct and indigenous ethnic group and have never been, nor will ever be, subsumed under the so-called 'Kuki', notwithstanding certain erroneous references by colonial writers and researchers," the Thadou village chief said.

"I also take pride in the fact that the Thadou are the largest tribe in Manipur and the second-largest community after the Meitei. The indigenous presence of the Thadou in Manipur is of paramount importance, and I fully support and wish for the peaceful coexistence of various communities in the state of Manipur without affecting its territorial integrity," he said.

The valley-dominant Meitei community and over a dozen distinct tribes collectively known as Kuki, who are dominant in some hill areas of Manipur, have been fighting since May 2023 over a range of issues such as land rights and political representation. Over 260 were killed and nearly 50,000 were displaced.

Some internally displaced people have started returning home. There has been no report of large-scale violence for many months now.