Thadou Inpi, the apex body of the Thadou tribe, has come forward to clarify its position following the recent press statement issued by Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), in which the name of Thadou was mentioned in connection with a protest rally that took place on March 10.
In a statement issued by Inpi’s general headquarters secretary general, Jame Haokip, the organization made it clear that it had nothing to do with the protest rally and was neither consulted nor informed about the matter. The statement further stressed that Kuki Inpi has no moral or legal authority to speak on behalf of the Thadou community.
As per the Thadou Conclave Declaration 2015, Thadou tribes are not part of Kuki Inpi. The release clarified that Thadou Inpi is an independent apex body of the Thadou tribe and has been recognized as a scheduled tribe of Manipur by the Government of India since 1965.
On the other hand, Kuki Inpi is the apex body of “Any Kuki tribe” and was added to the list of scheduled tribes of Manipur only in 2002.
The statement made it clear that the organization was not consulted or informed about the protest rally that took place on March 10. It was further stated that the participation of some Thadou individuals in the rally was a personal matter and did not represent Inpi or the Thadou tribal community.
Thadou also reminded Kuki Inpi that it should not interfere in the affairs of the Thadou community. The release stressed that Kuki Inpi should exercise due diligence and mutual respect instead of making any statement on behalf of Thadous.
Thadou further emphasized that Kuki Inpi should know its limits and refrain from making any statement on behalf of the Thadou community.