Manipur: Hun-Thadou Festival in Imphal not linked to ‘Thadou Inpi-GHQ’, organisers clarify

The organisers of the 8th State-Level Hun-Thadou Cultural Festival 2026 on Maech 10 clarified that the upcoming event in Imphal has no connection with activities planned by groups operating under the name “Thadou Inpi-GHQ” in Kangpokpi district.
In a press statement, the organising committee under the aegis of Thadou Inpi Manipur (TIM) said the festival, scheduled to be held on April 7 in Imphal, is the official cultural celebration of the Thadou community and is entirely separate from programmes allegedly being conducted by “unmandated groups” using the name “Thadou Inpi-GHQ”.
The committee said any activities organised under the banner of “Thadou Inpi-GHQ” are unrelated to the official festival.
According to the statement, TIM has continued efforts to preserve the legacy and sanctity of the Hun-Thadou festival despite the prevailing situation in Manipur. The first edition of the festival was organised in 2016 at Ngahmun in Kangpokpi district.
Subsequent editions were held outside the state due to the ongoing crisis in Manipur, with the sixth edition organised in New Delhi in 2024 and the seventh in Guwahati in 2025.
The organisers said the eighth edition is returning to Imphal this year as part of what they described as a “Thadou peace initiative” aimed at promoting unity and cultural identity.
They also invited members of the Thadou community across different regions to celebrate the festival wherever they reside as a grassroots expression of cultural pride and unity, in line with the declaration of the Thadou Conclave held in Delhi in 2015.
The statement emphasised that the festival is a purely cultural and apolitical event dedicated to celebrating Thadou ethnic identity, traditions, language, songs and dances.
The organisers also urged the Manipur government and authorities not to recognise any organisation such as “TI-GHQ” in connection with the festival, claiming it has no relation to the official Hun-Thadou celebration.
Appealing to the Thadou community, the organising committee called for preserving the sanctity of the festival and supporting the official celebration in Imphal, describing it as a symbol of unity, peace, communal harmony and cultural renaissance.