"All communities are Manipuri": Thadou Inpi urges CM Khemchand Singh to refer to MLAs without ethnic umbrella terms

A fresh debate over identity and political terminology has emerged in Manipur, after Thadou Inpi Manipur wrote to Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh seeking clarification on the use of the term “Kuki-Zo-Hmar MLAs” during proceedings of the state Legislative Assembly.

In a letter addressed to the Chief Minister, the organization welcomed Singh’s repeated calls for unity among the state’s diverse communities, noting his emphasis that Manipur comprises 36 communities that have historically defended and built the state together and should be collectively identified as “Manipuri.”

However, the group expressed concern over references made during the Assembly session on March 9, where six legislators, Nemcha Kipgen, L. M. Khaute, Letzamang Haokip, Ngursanglur Sanate, Kimneo Haokip Hangshing, and Haokholet Kipgen, were called as “Kuki-Zo-Hmar MLAs” in official discourse and a press release issued by the Department of Information and Public Relations, Manipur.

The legislators represent constituencies including Saikul, Churachandpur, Henglep, and Tipaimukh.

In the letter, the organization questioned the continued use of umbrella ethnic terms such as “Kuki” or “Kuki-Zo,” arguing that such labels are historically contested and rooted in colonial administrative classifications. It stated that several communities, including the Thadou, have consistently rejected being subsumed under the broader “Kuki” categorization.

The group emphasized that the Thadou community, which it described as one of the largest hill tribes in the state according to census data, maintains a distinct indigenous identity while supporting Manipur’s territorial integrity and peaceful coexistence among communities in both hill and valley regions.

According to the letter, organizations such as Thadou Inpi Manipur advocate a unified framework of “Manipuri identity” alongside other communities including the Meitei, Naga, Pangal, Zomi, Hmar, and Mizo.

The organization urged the Chief Minister to align official language with his stated vision of inclusive nationalism by avoiding generalized ethnic labels in the Assembly and instead referring to legislators by their constituencies, names, or specifically asserted identities.

It further suggested that communities openly embracing a shared Manipuri identity should be highlighted as examples of unity, arguing that careful and precise terminology could help rebuild trust and promote reconciliation in a state that has experienced prolonged ethnic tensions.

The letter called on the Chief Minister to clarify the issue publicly and lead efforts toward fostering a broader sense of shared identity among all communities in Manipur.