Section of Thadou tribes represented by Thadou Students' Association formed global platform (File)
A section of the Thadou tribes represented by the Manipur-based Thadou Students' Association (TSA) has formed a global platform to look into critical issues facing the community, particularly in Manipur, the TSA's general headquarters said in a statement on Sunday.
A marathon eight-hour virtual meeting was held where people from the Thadou tribe living in nine countries including the US, the UK, Norway, Australia, and Malaysia, among others, participated to elect two convenors and 30 executive members for a tenure of one year, the TSA said in the statement.
Several critical issues and the future of the Thadou people around the world were discussed, the TSA said, adding that Thadous are "facing persecution and violation of their rights from different quarters" particularly in Manipur, where ethnic tensions between the Meitei community and the over two dozen tribes under the Kuki umbrella are high.
The TSA said the new global body 'Thadou Community International', or TCI, appointed Kapchungnung Tado and Chongboi Haokip as convenors.
"TCI will endeavour to represent the voice of the suppressed and silenced Thadous," the TSA said.
The TCI has identified five objectives based on a 10-point assessment of the Thadou tribe's situation. The TSA in the statement said one of their goals is to "address serious concerns over widespread violation of civil and human rights of the Thadou people by anti-Thadou elements, particularly Kuki supremacists", and to raise the issue with the authorities and civil society organisations.
The TSA said it will work to promote and strengthen Thadou communities across the globe and foster positive relationships with other kindred communities within the "Chin-Zo people and beyond".
"Thadou is a distinct tribe and people with their own distinct identity, language and culture... At some point other people may have called Thadous with different names... that does not change the fact that we are Thadou and we should be called Thadou respectfully," the TSA said in the statement.
"Referring to us as otherwise, that too with a derogatory name, is hurtful and, we feel, is offensive, disrespectful and in fact racist. It is noteworthy that our kindred tribes under the indigenous name Zomi or Mizo in India have never accepted or identified themselves as Kuki," the TSA said.
The TSA's statement comes on a day when Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh said he met representatives of several small tribes and heard their concerns about bigger tribes trying to suppress their identities. Mr Singh in a post on X said the smaller tribes strongly condemned alleged forgery by a man identified as Paominlen Haokip, who allegedly used fake signatures of the smaller tribes' representatives in a complaint to the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST).
"Thadou is not Kuki but a distinct tribe... Amid the ongoing tragic ethnic violence in Manipur that broke out on May 3, 2023, the Thadou tribe continues to face constant and increasing threats to its identity, unity and interests from various quarters, particularly Kuki supremacist groups and individuals, including armed Kuki militants and their frontal organisations disguising as Kuki civil society organisations," the TSA said in the statement.
"The Thadous have been forced to reject their own ethnic and cultural identity while being forced to proclaim as being Kuki and to support Kuki, and those who don't toe the line have been abused, persecuted, cancelled, tortured and assaulted..." the TSA alleged.
"With no, or lack of, protection from state actors or government authorities, there have been countless instances, on an ongoing basis, of Thadous living in fear and are afraid of even saying they are Thadou or participating in Thadou organisations or activities due to fear of reprisals from Kuki supremacist forces," the TSA said.