Reported by Bit Irom
Imphal: The Thadou Inpi Manipur (TIM), the apex Thadou body, has strongly clarified that the three church leaders killed in a targeted ambush in Kangpokpi on May 13 were Thadou, not Kukis.
TIM issued a statement demanding that Kuki groups cease exploiting the tragedy to further their agenda and stop interfering in Thadou affairs.
The targeted attack claimed the lives of Rev. Vumthang Sitlhou, president of the Thadou Baptist Association India (TBAI); Rev. Kaigoulun Lhouvum; and Pastor Paogoulen Sitlhou, while injuring five others.
The leaders were ambushed en route to Kangpokpi after attending a United Baptist Council meeting in Churachandpur.
TIM expressed profound sorrow and anger over reports that misidentified the victims as Kuki, stating that portraying them as such, whether out of ignorance or provocation, adds deep distress to a grieving community. The organisation stressed that “Thadou is not Kuki” and urged the public and media to refer to the victims correctly as Thadou.
Following the killings, the group also reported disturbances at the leaders’ burial ceremony at the TBA compound in Kangpokpi, with Kuki groups advocating burial at the Kuki Martyrs’ Cemetery.
To correct ongoing misrepresentation, TIM recently urged the state government to replace the hybrid “Thadou-Kuki” nomenclature in educational curricula with “Thadou” alone. The Thadou tribe has been an officially recognised Scheduled Tribe in India since 1956.
The Thadou people have their own distinct language (Thadou) and rich cultural heritage. They are distinct from other recognised tribes such as the Kuki, Aimol, Anal, Hmar, and Paite.