Thadou Inpi Manipur urges termination of SoO agreement, citing persecution and militancy

The Thadou Inpi Manipur (TIM), the apex body of the Thadou tribal community, has submitted a 35-page memorandum to the Government of India and the state governments of Manipur and Assam, calling for the immediate abrogation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with Kuki militant groups. The memorandum argues that the agreement has failed to bring peace, instead enabling violence, persecution, and criminal activities against the Thadou people.
The document begins by underlining the distinct identity of the Thadou, stressing that they are neither Kukis nor a subset of them, but an independent ethnic group. It recalls the Thadou’s history as a peaceful community, disrupted by the rise of what it describes as “Kuki supremacy ideology” in the 1970s and the subsequent militancy of the late 1980s. According to TIM, the term “Kuki” is a colonial construct without recognition in Myanmar, where Thadous are officially classified as a subgroup of the Chin community with their own census code.
The memorandum asserts that the SoO pact has provided Kuki militants with political cover, allowing them to operate with impunity. It accuses Kuki groups of establishing a parallel authority, undermining democratic institutions, and engaging in what TIM terms “cultural genocide” against the Thadou. Several Kuki organisations and churches, including the Kuki National Organisation (KNO), Kuki Inpi, KSO, and the Kuki Christian Council, are identified as key drivers of hate campaigns and violent agendas.
TIM also names individuals allegedly promoting extremist ideology, including P.S. Haokip, President of KNO, and Saikot MLA Paolienlal Haokip. It claims these networks link to the “Any Kuki tribes” movement of 2003, which it describes as an effort for political and economic control.
The memorandum highlights a range of alleged violations of democratic principles. It accuses Kuki militants of booth capturing, voter intimidation, and forced bloc voting, which it claims have disenfranchised the Thadou people. Financial crimes, including misuse of welfare funds through nexus between militants and officials, are also detailed. Additionally, the SoO groups are accused of cross-border terrorism, arms smuggling, and recruiting youths into outfits such as the Kuki National Army-Burma.
TIM strongly links the SoO to a surge in poppy cultivation and drug trafficking, which it says has turned Manipur into a hub comparable to the Golden Triangle. The resultant drug abuse among youths and environmental destruction, it warns, are long-term threats to society.
The memorandum further cites direct involvement of SoO militants in violent incidents, including the May 3, 2023 Torbung-Bangla attack, where KNO cadres allegedly targeted civilians. It also raises concerns about Kuki groups aligning with separatist elements abroad, including pro-Khalistan factions in Canada, citing videos and publications promoting Kuki sovereignty.
A particularly disturbing case highlighted is the August 30, 2025 killing of Pu Nehkam Jomhao, Chairman of the Thadou Literature Society, who was reportedly murdered by Kuki militants in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district for defending Thadou identity.
Declaring the SoO unconstitutional and indefinite in nature, TIM warns that its continuation poses a serious threat to India’s integrity. It concludes by urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and other authorities to immediately annul the agreement, arguing that two decades of SoO have yielded only instability, terrorism, and systematic persecution of the Thadou community.