'Our Last Exchange Was...': Thadou Intellectual's Farewell To Leader Killed By Kuki Insurgents In Assam

Leaders of the Thadou tribe in Assam wrapped the coffin of their community leader, Nehkam Jomhao, with the traditional Thadou Saipikhup shawl in what they called a mark of highest respect and honour to the 59-year-old who was tortured and Killed by Kuki insurgents on August 30.

The Thadou tribe has been asserting themselves as a distinct tribe with their own language and distinctive culture, and not a part of the Kuki nomenclature. However, some Kuki organisations and insurgent groups do not agree with that view.

Nehkam Jomhao was chairman of the Thadou Literature Society, and was part of a Thadou tribe delegation that visited Manipur's capital Imphal on August 6 and shared a stage with civil society organisations from the Meitei community. The event was seen as a significant step at demonstrating the resilience of the common people in overcoming hate and misunderstanding, the attendees had told reporters.

The Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA) in Assam said five of its insurgents were involved in the murder, but they acted on their own without the knowledge of the organisation. The KRA Assam agreed to help in the police investigation.

At the funeral service held on 13th September 2025 at Diphu Thadou Veng, the President and Vice-President (Administration) of Thadou Students' Association (TSA) were in attendance. As a mark of highest respect and honor, they ceremonially wrapped the coffin of Late Nehkam Jomhao... pic.twitter.com/OTfUTOEOB2

— Thadou Students' Association (@TSA_GHQ) September 14, 2025

Chongboi Haokip, the UK-based founding convenor of the Thadou Community International (TCI) who was also instrumental in organising the first state-level Assam Thadou Hun 2025, recalled Nehkam Jomhao joked about threats in a Kuki WhatsApp group a day before he was murdered.

"On August 29, Pu Nehkam commented in a group chat about a social boycott notice circulated by Kuki organisations... With his typical characteristic humour, he joked he had been boycotted again which he just found out, adding laughing emojis. Obviously, such treatment was nothing new to him. I replied jokingly that he and Pu Janglun Sitlhou had become popular subjects in Kuki media despite not being Kuki themselves. That exchange would be our last direct communication," Ms Haokip, MCIHort under Britain's Chartered Institute of Horticulture, told NDTV.

"The next day, August 30, I noticed that he had read my message on the future of the Thadou community, a subject matter close to his heart, at 3.48 pm. I am at peace knowing that he knew his legacy would carry on, even though he may not be with us on this Earth anymore," Ms Haokip said.

"It was the last sign of life from a man who had given everything for his people's cause. That evening, my brother called with devastating news that Kuki insurgents had murdered Pu Nehkam, and his body had not been found. In that moment of grief, I told my brother firmly that the Thadous must emerge stronger from this tragedy and never yield to oppression, for the future of our people depends on it," Ms Haokip told NDTV.

Ms Haokip said Nehkam Jomhao's personal testimonies on the Thadou-Kuki conflict in Assam in 1992-1993 revealed a man who narrowly escaped death after Kuki insurgents tortured him back then. She said the injuries lasted for life and became a constant reminder of the violence he survived.

"His brother died in the same conflict. Despite these traumatic experiences, he emerged not with bitterness, but with a deeper resolve to work for peace and preserve Thadou identity not only in Assam but across the globe where the Thadous live," Ms Haokip said.

She said she had the privilege of working closely with Nehkam Jomhao for the Hun-Thadou Cultural Festival held in Assam's Guwahati in April.

"In our many discussions, he frequently emphasised that our tribe must preserve our heritage at all cost. Sometimes, I wish now that I had engaged with him in a deeper dialogue on what matters most to him for the Thadou," Ms Haokip said.

She said Nehkam Jomhao as chairman of the Thadou Literature Society in Assam "fiercely guarded the Thadou language, literature, and cultural identity". His work in cultural preservation and peace-building left a lasting mark on the community, she added.

"Pu Nehkam was acutely aware of the risks his advocacy entailed. On several occasions, he said he had received death threats... In early August 2025, despite being aware of the dangers, he boldly joined a peace road building mission team working to bridge the divide between the Thadou and Meitei communities [in Manipur].

"He felt deeply the pain of his people, who were often misidentified by others and had faced undesired human tragedy in the history of Manipur and beyond. He believed that resolving this issue was crucial so that Thadous could make meaningful contributions to reconciliation in the broader Manipur conflict..." Ms Haokip said, adding that guided by Nehkam Jomhao's legacy the Thadou tribe will "build bridges in place of walls and foster hope where despair once prevailed."

Thadou tribe organisations in Assam have asked the state government to end the suspension of operations (SoO) agreement with Kuki insurgents. Naming leaders of the KRA, KLA, UKDA and other insurgent groups, Thadou protesters in Guwahati on September 11 questioned the legal and constitutional basis of the SoO agreement when Kuki insurgents-despite the ground rules-continue to indulge in violence and killing at will.

All Kuki insurgent groups should be declared terrorist organisations under the relevant laws and their camps should be dismantled, the protesters said in a memorandum to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

They also expressed concern that the murder of the Thadou leader in Karbi Anglong district happened despite the Thadou Students Association (TSA) and community members complaining to the Assam government for immediate intervention against threats by Kuki insurgents, namely the Kuki Liberation Army/Kuki Liberation Organisation.

The Karbi Anglong district commissioner on September 6 wrote to the district Thadou Inpi, Thadou Women's Association Assam, and the district Thadou Students Association to inform them that memorandums seeking decisive action against Kuki insurgents in Assam "have been sent to all the department concerned of Government of Assam including Hon'ble Chief Minister of Assam and Hon'ble CEM, Kart anglong Autonomous Council and NC Hills Autonomous Council... for taking further necessary action from the authority concerned."

Thadou organisations alleged the murder of the civilian by Kuki insurgents in Assam indicated they want to enlarge the Manipur crisis and make it spill over to neighbouring states.

Sources said the KRA's admission of the involvement of five of its insurgents came swiftly after top Assam officials began closely monitoring the developments in the autonomous district following the killing of the Thadou tribe leader.

Civil society and student organisations from other communities such as Karbi and Dimasa had also joined hands in the fresh protest against Kuki insurgents operating in Assam, where the police are seen to be highly experienced and proactive in tackling insurgency.