Like that most remembered paradoxical opening: both the ‘Inpi’ (Thadou and Kuki), which literally means the highest apex organization of the traditional system, are now caught in a contradiction and conflict within — “in short, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”
Subsequently, after the Thadou Inpi Manipur (TIM) meeting with Meitei CSOs in Imphal to push forward a covenant of co-existence, the Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) issued a statement declaring “Ostracize from Kuki Community” the Thadou Inpi Manipur and any individuals or entities claiming to represent the Kuki people without the mandate of the legitimate Kuki leaders.
KIM also announced TIM as an “Enemy of the People,” stating it aims to undermine the collective struggles and aspirations of the community. It added that TIM and its leadership, who have publicly disassociated themselves from the broader Kuki identity and consistently claim not to be Kukis, lack any legitimacy or moral authority to negotiate peace or represent the interests of the Kuki people in the ongoing Kuki-Meitei conflict.
Meanwhile, the Thadou Inpi Manipur reiterated again during the Thadou-Meitei meet in Imphal that “Thadou is not Kuki, and Kuki is not an ethnic identity; it is a political ideology.” They stated that historically and culturally, there is no community known as “Kuki” indigenous to Manipur. The term “Kuki” has foreign origins, and those who adopt it today often do so to push a separatist and extremist ideology. Many who currently identify as Kuki are suspected illegal immigrants, having settled in Manipur in recent decades, according to Thadou Inpi Manipur.
KIM stated that peace cannot be built on exclusion, misrepresentation, or betrayal. Any genuine dialogue must involve authentic, community-mandated representatives and address the historical and recent injustices faced by the Kukis, including mass displacement, targeted violence, and systemic marginalization. The Kuki Inpi called upon all stakeholders — local, national, and international — to recognise the authentic voice of the Kuki people and to reject any attempt by fringe elements to hijack or distort the community’s demands for justice, safety, and security.
