Imphal: The Thadou community bodies in Manipur have taken a firm stand against the inclusion of “Any Kuki Tribes” (AKT) in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list, warning that they will oppose any census exercise in the state unless the category is removed.
Organisations including the Thadou Inpi Manipur (TIM), Thadou Students’ Association (TSA), Thadou Community International (TCI) and other allied bodies said the AKT classification is a fabricated and misused category that undermines the distinct identity of the Thadou people. They demanded the immediate suspension of any census exercises in Manipur until AKT is deleted from the ST list.
The renewed opposition follows the Manipur government’s announcement on preparations for the 2027 Census, including the freezing of administrative boundaries from January 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027 to ensure smooth conduct of the exercise.
However, the census plan has triggered wider resistance, with several civil society groups demanding an update of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) before any enumeration, citing concerns over illegal immigration and prevailing instability in the state.
Despite the Centre approving the census and initiating training, with the first phase expected in mid-2026 and population enumeration scheduled for February 2027, Thadou bodies said they would not cooperate unless their long-standing demand is addressed.
The organisations asserted that the Thadou people are a major indigenous ethnic group in Manipur and the state’s second-largest tribe. They highlighted their distinct Tibeto-Burman language, unique cultural practices, and traditional hill-based way of life. The community is spread across Northeast India and Myanmar and has consistently sought recognition of its distinct identity within, but not subsumed by, the broader Kuki grouping.
In separate statements, the Thadou bodies reiterated that “Thadou” is a distinct indigenous community and not a sub-group of “Kuki”. Their opposition, they clarified, is not directed at individual tribes but at the umbrella “Any Kuki Tribes” category, which they allege has been misused to allow non-indigenous or foreign individuals to claim ST status and benefits. They said resistance to the inclusion of “Kuki” or “Any Kuki Tribes” in the ST list dates back to the 1970s. According to the organisations, the introduction of AKT in 2003 was politically motivated, lacked ethnographic basis, and artificially grouped distinct tribes, leading to identity dilution and administrative confusion.The Thadou bodies further alleged that the AKT category has been exploited as a loophole by illegal immigrants and non-indigenous persons to access ST benefits, adversely affecting the rights of indigenous communities like the Thadou.
They noted that their demand aligns with repeated recommendations made by the Manipur government to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs seeking deletion of AKT from the ST list. Cabinet decisions taken in 2018, 2023 and 2024 had endorsed the proposal, which has since been communicated to the Centre. The matter, however, remains pending for views from the Registrar General of India.
The Thadou Convention held in 2024 also reaffirmed the community’s distinct identity and rejected the “Kuki” label, reinforcing calls for the removal of AKT from the Scheduled Tribes list.