Meitei of Manipur

Guwahati

Five organizations representing the Meitei and Thadou communities in Manipur seek an Assam-like exercise filtering out “illegal immigration” through the updated National Register of Citizens (NRC).

The groups also demanded the removal of “any Kuki Tribe (AKT)” from the Manipur’s scheduled tribe list and terminate the moratorium on action (SOO) agreement with Kuki extremists while vowing to protect the territorial integrity of the state.

These groups are the Meitei Heritage Society, Delhi Manipuri Society and Ningol United Intracive Initiative representing the Meitei civil society organizations, as well as the Thadou Inpi Manipur and Thadou Inpi Manipur and Thadou Student Association representing Thadous, who advocated their non-Kuki identities.

In a joint statement dated 2 May 2025, Meitei and Thadou organizations reaffirmed their commitment to protecting Manipur's integrity, unity and interests as a multiracial state. It said: “The two sides also recognize the important role and contribution of the Sadu people in protecting the collective interests of the people of Manipur and the national integrity.”

The two organizations recognize Thadou as a unique indigenous community that “does not fall into the category of Kuki or Akt.” They are determined to call on competent authorities to remove the “unconstitutional and ambiguous” AKT from Manipur’s scheduled tribe list.

“Illegal immigrants are taking advantage of this unclear designation to gain the inevitable ST status, spreading the deadly ideology of Kuki supremacy, which endangers community unity in Manipur and poses a direct threat to national security. AKT added incorrect political reasons to Manipur in 2003, and they added popular ways of politically, and their legal scope is affluent.

“Neither race nor culture”

The group said the term “Kuki” was neither a race nor a cultural identity, but a problematic colonial structure that was later linked to separatism and political ideology by the desire for radicals and vested interests to control the indigenous communities in Manipur.

“In all academic, research and official environments, 29 tribes of the Manipur people who were originally recognized must be terminated. They say that when referring to that particular tribe or community, not under any blanket, colony or imposed tag,” they said.

The groups condemn Kuki's extremism for demanding termination of the SOO agreement with about 25 armed groups. They claim that the SOO group has provided weapons to the agreement to intimidate and suppress unarmed indigenous peoples, especially the Thadou community, in pursuit of the anti-Manipur agenda.

Free movement

“The two sides are collectively determined to call on the Indian government to speed up the NRC update in Manipur to identify and resolve the influx of illegal immigrants, which threaten the security of indigenous communities and nationality. A thorough NRC procedure is crucial to preserve demographic integrity and restore public confidence,” said the Meitei-tharadou organization. ”

They expressed support for the Interior Department’s efforts to ensure free action in all communities across the state, including the National Highways in Imphal Valley and Hills, and to take corporate action against any entity that blocks this constitutional right.

Since the race clashes that broke out on May 3, 2023, the people of Metes and Kukizo have avoided entering each other's areas.

Meitei and Thadou groups also agreed to call on the government to restore and resettle internally displaced persons in legal places of residence and receive appropriate compensation and protection. In Manipur, about 60,000 displaced people continue to live in relief camps.