Manipur's Thadou Tribe Warn Of Disinformation Campaign To Derail Peace Talks

Manipur is yet to see normalcy over a year since ethnic violence began in May 2023

Imphal/Guwahati/New Delhi:

Days after the Thadou Tribe Council (TTC) denied any knowledge of Manipur Chief Minister Biren Singh’s outreach for peace talks in the violence-hit state, a global body of the Thadou tribe has alleged the TTC is run by “Kuki supremacists” to spread “anti-Thadou disinformation and cause confusion and misunderstanding in the community.”

During a discussion and voting on demands for grants on the last day of the Manipur assembly session on August 12, the Chief Minister had said they have been working to invite Thadou and Hmar leaders to Imphal (state capital) for peace talks.

The TTC in a statement on August 14 had alleged Mr Singh’s statement in the assembly was an attempt to mislead the people of Manipur. While not denying it wants peace, the TTC said justice and sustainable political solution were mandatory before peace can be secured – indicating it was not ready for talks yet.

The Thadou Community International (TCI), however, on Saturday in a statement questioned the TTC’s aversion to talks, and alleged the TTC is a group that is “at best confined to Churachandpur Tuibong area and controlled by some Kuki supremacists”.

“The claim of TTC-GHQ (general headquarters) that it is the apex body of the Thadou tribe is ridiculous and laughable as TTC was renamed as Thadou Inpi at the Thadou Conclave Declaration, 2015 and since then TTC ceased to exist,” the Thadou Community International said in the statement.

“Following the news of the formation of the fake TTC in Churachandpur in January this year, Thadou Inpi and TSA (Thadou Students Association) have issued clarifications about the non-existence and fakeness of the so-called TTC, asking the anti-Thadou propagandists to stop their disinformation,” the TCI said.

The Thadou Community International had welcomed the Chief Minister’s statement in the assembly that all communities have been working hard to bring peace in the ethnic violence-hit state, except for a few agenda-driven leaders who have been misleading the people of the state.

The Thadou Community International in the statement said the TCI was formed by “genuine people from the Thadou tribe from every nook and corner of the world, including the US, the UK, Norway, Australia, Myanmar, India, Singapore, Macau, and Malaysia.” It said it has two conveners and 30 executive members from the countries where members of the Thadou tribe are settled.

The TTC – which objected to the Chief Minister’s peace plan – in its latest statement criticised the Thadou Community International as a bogus entity formed by some non-resident Thadou individuals in collusion with Mr Singh himself.

The Thadou Community International has refuted the TTC’s allegations. It said the TCI has been working to draw attention to the tribe’s “inaccurate” reference by leaders and the media as “Kuki”, and has sought to spread awareness that “the Thadou tribe is distinct and any confusion with other tribes surmount to being racist, abusive, disrespectful, traumatising and it puts the Thadou tribe in poor light”.

Tension lingers over a year since clashes began between the valley-dominant Meitei community and the nearly two dozen tribes dominant in some hill districts of Manipur. Over 220 have died and nearly 50,000 have been internally displaced.

The general category Meiteis want to be included under the Scheduled Tribes category, while the nearly two dozen tribes that share ethnic ties with people in neighbouring Myanmar’s Chin State and Mizoram want a separate administration carved out of Manipur, citing discrimination and unequal share of resources and power with the Meiteis.