Latest news with #AnyKukiTribes'


NDTV
24-06-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
"Unlimited Scope Of Abuse": Meitei, Thadou Tribe Bodies Ask Centre To Remove 'Any Kuki Tribes' From Manipur ST List
Imphal/Guwahati/New Delhi: Two top civil society organisations of Manipur's Meitei community and the indigenous distinct tribe Thadou have asked the central government to remove 'Any Kuki Tribes' from the list of Scheduled Tribes (ST) in Manipur. The Meitei Alliance and the Thadou Inpi Manipur in a joint representation to Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram said the inclusion of 'Any Kuki Tribes' in Manipur's ST list is "constitutionally flawed, ethnographically invalid, and a serious threat to the rights and peaceful co-existence of existing recognised communities in the state." They also called 'Any Kuki Tribes' an "invalid continuation of a deleted colonial classification." "Any Kuki Tribes proponents claim it represents [sic] a 'Kuki tribe'. This is false. 'Kuki' is neither a tribe nor a language, and it does not denote a distinct culture. It is a loose, political label without ethnographic or linguistic basis, often misused as an umbrella identity for varied unrelated groups," the Meitei Alliance and the Thadou Inpi Manipur said in the representation to the Union minister. A Thadou Inpi Manipur spokesperson said there are 33 distinct recognised tribes in Manipur's ST list, and adding 'Any Kuki Tribes' takes the total to 34. The last tribe to be added to the ST list was 'Mate' in 2012. The two civil society organisations pointed out that while the 33 recognised tribes are distinct, 'Any Kuki Tribes' is wide open to misuse because it also means "anybody" can claim to be a part of 'Any Kuki Tribes'. Statements on social media purportedly made by Hmar and Paite tribe organisations claimed they supported the Meitei and Thadou representation on the 'Any Kuki Tribes' issue. NDTV could not independently verify the authenticity of the Hmar and Paite organisations' statements. In Manipur's context, the 'Any Kuki Tribes' category gives "unlimited scope of abuse" by enabling "fabrication of endless tribal identities... which could even include foreigners and illegal immigrants," the Meitei Alliance and the Thadou Inpi Manipur said in their representation to the Union tribal affairs minister. "This unlimited and undefined scope opens the door for mass misuse, mass infiltration, illegal immigration and identity fraud." The same two civil society organisations from different communities in Manipur, where the ethnic divide is deep, had on March 8 made a joint call for peace in an unprecedented move as they met for the first time on a common platform and for a common goal since the outbreak of ethnic violence in May 2023. Following meetings of the state cabinet on October 19, 2018 and January 2, 2023, the Manipur government on February 8, 2023 formally recommended the central government to delete 'Any Kuki Tribes' from the ST list. Nearly three months later, the ethnic clashes broke out. The Meitei Alliance and the Thadou Inpi Manipur presented a 12-point explanation to the Union tribal affairs minister suggesting why 'Any Kuki Tribes' should be removed from the ST list. Some of them included "arbitrary and improper inclusion, non-acceptance by native communities; duplication of recognised tribes, especially Thadou; invalid continuation of a deleted colonial classification, unlimited and abusable scope, misuse by surnames and clans, and inconsistent with the official ST framework". The two civil society organisations point out that 'Any Kuki Tribes' is essentially an "invalid continuation of a deleted colonial classification." During the 1951-56 period, colonial-era broad groupings like 'Any Kuki Tribe', 'Any Naga Tribe', and 'Any Lushai Tribe' were temporarily used, they said. After a proper survey by the Kaka Kalelkar Commission [India's first Backward Classes Commission] and with the recommendation of the then state government and a proper ethnographic verification, the 1956 SC/ST Amendment Act or Modification Order deleted 'Any Kuki' and 'Any Naga' - and instead recognised 29 distinct Scheduled Tribes, the Meitei Alliance and the Thadou Inpi Manipur said. "However, the broad classification of 'Any Mizo (Lushai)' was retained for linguistic-cultural reasons. The re-insertion of 'Any Kuki Tribes' in 2003 violated this settled constitutional and ethnological framework," the two civil society organisations said in their representation to the Union minister. "There is no justification for creating AKT [Any Kuki Tribes]. The creation of AKT sets a dangerous precedent: if every discontented sub-group within a tribe claims separate ST status, it will result in unending community fragmentation. The deletion of AKT will preserve the sanctity of the ST list as well as the integrity and unity of the recognised communities of Manipur," they said. A Thadou Inpi Manipur spokesperson said the organisation has been trying to raise awareness about 'Any Kuki Tribes' for a long time, and only now people in Manipur have started realising the gravity of the matter. "We need to do a lot more. Raising awareness was a start. We hope all communities in Manipur unite and recognise this huge problem to undo the damage done to the state," the spokesperson said. The ethnic clashes in Manipur have killed over 260 people and internally displaced nearly 50,000.


The Hindu
24-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Tribal Ministry urged to delete 'Any Kuki Tribes' category from Manipur's ST list
Two Manipur-based organisations have urged the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to delete the 'Any Kuki Tribes' category from the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list in the State as it allegedly allows "foreigners to claim rights" of the indigenous people and "poses a threat to their land and resources". Also read: On delisting some Kuki-Zomi tribes in Manipur | Explained In a memorandum to the Ministry, the two organisations - Thadou Inpi manipur and Meitei Alliance - stated that "the appeal aligns with the official position of the Government of Manipur, which, following cabinet decisions on October 19, 2018 and January 2, 2023, formally recommended the deletion of 'Any Kuki Tribes' category. "The vague nature of 'Any Kuki tribes' (AKT) allows foreigners to claim tribal rights in Manipur. This poses a serious threat to land, resources, and constitutional privileges of pre-existing scheduled tribes," the two organisations claimed in the memorandum. They also alleged, "AKT has no unique language, separate cultural heritage, and geographical isolation, all of which are the basic criteria for Scheduled Tribe recognition under Article 342 of the Constitution of India. It fails every benchmark and only serves to sow ethnic discord and legal confusion." The two organisations also claimed that the category 'Any Kuki tribes' was inserted into the Scheduled Tribes list of Manipur in 2003 through "politically motivated and non-transparent means". "Unlike any of the Scheduled Tribes of Manipur that are linguistically and culturally distinct, AKT is an ambiguous and arbitrary insertion without a legitimate basis. AKT is not accepted or recognised by any of the Scheduled Tribes of its existence has only exacerbated ethnic tension and undermined social harmony," the memorandum said.


NDTV
02-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
'Rebuild And Protect': Manipur's Meitei And Thadou Groups Call For Unity, Slam "Supremacists"
Imphal: Five civil society groups of Manipur's Thadou tribe and the Meitei community have agreed to work on a 10-point plan to bring peace and protect the territorial integrity of the state bordering Myanmar. They also agreed to welcome any move to carry out the National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise to detect and deport illegal immigrants, and to press on with their demand for removing 'Any Kuki Tribes' from the list of Scheduled Tribes. The joint Meitei-Thadou announcement came a day before Manipur entered a second year without full normalcy since the outbreak of ethnic clashes on May 3, 2023. "As we mark the second anniversary of the Manipur crisis on May 3, 2025, both parties reaffirmed their commitment to safeguard the integrity, unity, and interests of Manipur as a multiethnic state. Both parties also acknowledge the significant roles and contributions of the Thadou people in safeguarding the collective interests of the people of Manipur and the integrity of the state," the five civil society groups said in a joint statement on Friday. Referring to a landmark meeting between the Thadou and Meitei civil society groups in Delhi on April 10, they said the point made by Thadou representatives that Thadou is a distinct community and does not fall under the category of 'Kuki' or 'Any Kuki Tribes' were "collectively acknowledged and appreciated". The civil society organisations also decided to ask the authorities to delete the "unconstitutional and ambiguous ethnic identity Any Kuki tribes (AKT) from the Scheduled Tribes list of Manipur." "This ambiguous ethnic identity is being exploited by illegal immigrants to obtain undeserved Scheduled Tribes status, propagating a dangerous ideology of 'Kuki Supremacism' that jeopardises communal unity in Manipur and poses a direct threat to national security," the joint statement said. "AKT was erroneously included in the list of Scheduled Tribes of Manipur in 2003 due to political reasons, resulting in a significant influx of illegal immigrants into Manipur and facilitating their legalisation and naturalisation. Both parties believe that the AKT's existence as a direct encouragement and support of illegal immigration at the expense of national and state interests, and its removal is critical to resolving illegal immigration and related issues for the protection of Manipur's indigenous people and India's national interests," the statement said. From the Meitei side, the statement was signed by Meitei Heritage Society, Ningols United Progressive Initiative, and Delhi Manipuri Society. The Thadou Inpi Manipur, and the Thadou Students' Association represented the Thadou tribe. Manipur Peace Day The Thadou Students Association said they will observe May 3 as Manipur Peace Day. "Let May 3, 2025 not remind us only of what we lost, but inspire us to protect what remains, and rebuild what is broken. We cannot undo the past, but we can choose a different future. A future rooted in peace, coexistence, and justice," the TSA said in a separate statement. They called for ending the suspension of operations (SoO) agreement signed with over two dozen insurgent groups who they called "Kuki supremacist" and "extremist rebel groups". "The SoO agreement, which was designed to end violence, protect constitutional principles, and safeguard Manipur's territorial integrity, has been grossly violated by Kuki militants and their frontal organisations, such as Kuki Inpi and Kuki Students' Organisation," the joint statement said. "They have misused/weaponised the SoO pact to terrorise and oppress unarmed indigenous people in order to further their anti-Manipur agenda. Kuki terrorists are emboldened as a result of the authorities' failure to address their atrocities against indigenous people. It put Manipur's tranquillity at risk. Both parties have agreed to appeal to the Union government for its immediate termination, in accordance with the Manipur legislative assembly's unanimous resolution to revoke the SoO," they said. The joint statement appealed to the indigenous communities in Manipur to work towards mutual respect, constructive dialogue, and long-term peace based on justice, recognition, and coexistence. The Kuki tribes and the Meiteis have been fighting since May 2023 over a range of issues such as land rights and political representation. Over 260 have died in the violence and nearly 50,000 have been internally displaced.