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 March 7, 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.
