Imphal: Thadou Inpi Manipur accused Kuki National Organisation (KNO) cadres of active participation in the May 3, 2023 violence at Torbung-Bangla, and also pointed to alleged links between Kuki groups and separatist movements abroad, including pro-Khalistan elements in Canada.
Meitei homes were set ablaze, displaced and killed many villagers by Kuki masses after an agitation rally. This led to the outbreak of Meitei-Kuki conflict.
The accusation of the participation of KNO in the violence was mentioned in a 35-paged memorandum submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home minister Amit Shah, Manipur governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, and Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
The Thadou apex body alleged that the suspension of operation (SoO) has failed to bring peace and instead empowered Kuki militants to carry out widespread violence, persecution, and criminal activities against the Thadou people.
It urged the Government of India and the state governments of Manipur and Assam to immediately abrogate the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with Kuki militant groups.
The Thadou body issued a press statement on Monday in connection with the memorandum.
The memorandum emphasized the distinct identity of the Thadou, rejecting the label “Kuki” as a colonial construct not recognized in India or Myanmar. The Thadou body stated that while the Thadou are recognized as an indigenous subgroup under the Chin category in Myanmar, “Kuki” has no such recognition or historical legitimacy.
It accused Kuki SoO groups, particularly the KNO, along with civil society organisations like Kuki Inpi, Kuki Students’ Organisation, and religious bodies such as Kuki Christian Council and Kuki Worship Service, of driving a campaign of “cultural genocide” against the Thadou. Prominent leaders, including KNO president P.S. Haokip and Saikot MLA Paolienlal Haokip, were named in the document as promoters of what TIM called a “radical Kuki supremacist ideology”.
The Thadou group alleged, “The SoO framework has allowed militant groups to operate a parallel government, engage in electoral malpractices, divert public funds, and run cross-border networks involving arms smuggling, terrorism, and drug trafficking.”
It highlighted that Manipur has become a major hub for the illegal drug trade, comparing it to the Golden Triangle.
The memorandum recounted recent atrocities, including the murder of Nehkam Jomhao, chairman of the Thadou Literature Society, on August 30, 2025, in Assam’s Karbi Anglong, allegedly by Kuki Revolutionary Army and United Kuki Defence Army militants.
Declaring the SoO “fundamentally flawed and unconstitutional,” The Thadou Inpi argued that the arrangement undermines India’s integrity and democratic institutions. It warned that continued appeasement of armed groups would send a dangerous message that violence is the only way to gain recognition.
The Thadou apex body demanded to terminate the SoO with Kuki militants, restore the rule of law, and ensure the safety and rights of the Thadou community.
