Thu Nov 07 14:32:25 UTC 2024: ## Thadou Tribe Condemns Death Threats from Kuki Insurgent Group

**Guwahati, Assam:** A global body representing the Thadou tribe from Manipur, the Thadou Community International (TCI), has strongly condemned alleged death threats issued by the Kuki National Front (KNF), a Kuki insurgent group currently under a ceasefire agreement with the Indian government.

The TCI alleges that the KNF’s threats against Thadou leaders constitute a direct violation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement. This follows a recent Thadou convention held in Guwahati where leaders and delegates asserted the Thadou tribe’s unique ethnic identity, separate from the Kuki community.

The convention declared that Thadou is one of the original 29 native tribes of Manipur, recognized as independent Scheduled Tribes since 1956. The KNF, in response, expressed anger at the convention’s decision, stating that declaring a separate identity from the Kuk-Zo (Kuki) community would be equivalent to asserting a distinct ethnicity like the Tangkhul, Mao, Meitei, or Pangal tribes.

However, the TCI has clarified that the Thadou tribe’s declaration of separation from the Kuki identity is simply a reaffirmation of its distinct tribal status, similar to other recognized tribes in Manipur.

The TCI further claims that the Kuki community is currently dominated by individuals of Thadou origin who have severed ties with their original tribe and formed a new group called the Any Kuki Tribes (AKT). This group, according to the TCI, was fraudulently added to the Scheduled Tribes list in 2003 for political gain.

The TCI is considering approaching the Assam Rifles, Ministry of Home Affairs, and Manipur government to report the KNF’s alleged violations of the SoO agreement. They are also planning a campaign to raise awareness about the Thadou tribe’s unique identity and advocate for the removal of AKT from the Scheduled Tribes list.

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