Thadou Inpi Manipur demands immediate termination of SoO pact, cites atrocities and threat to India’s integrity

The Thadou Inpi Manipur (TIM), the apex body representing the Thadou tribal community, has submitted a detailed 35-page memorandum to the Central government and the state governments of Manipur and Assam, urging the immediate abrogation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with Kuki groups.

The memorandum emphasizes that the Thadou people are a distinct ethnic group, not part of the "Kuki" identity, which it describes as a colonial construct. 

TIM claims that the SoO agreement, in place for over two decades, has failed in its stated objective of bringing peace. Instead, it alleges the pact has legitimized militant outfits like the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and its affiliates, enabling them to operate with impunity, establish a parallel authority, and carry out targeted violence against the Thadou community.

The petition accuses Kuki armed groups of engaging in persecution, cultural genocide, electoral malpractice, cross-border terrorism, arms smuggling, and large-scale drug trafficking, turning Manipur into a hub of narcotics comparable to the "Golden Triangle". It also raises concerns over links between Kuki groups and anti-India separatist movements abroad, citing a viral video of Kuki representatives aligning with pro-Khalistan elements in Canada in 2023.

The memorandum further highlights specific incidents, including the role of KNO cadres in the May 3, 2023 Manipur violence at Torbung-Bangla and the recent murder of Pu Nehkam Jomhao, Chairman of the Thadou Literature Society, who was killed by militants in Assam’s Karbi Anglong on August 30, 2025, for defending Thadou identity.

TIM argues that the continuation of the SoO pact undermines democratic institutions and the Constitution of India, granting militants undue political cover and leverage through participation in the Joint Monitoring Group.

The petition, addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, calls the SoO a "policy error" that must be corrected immediately. It urges the government to end the agreement, restore civil authority, and safeguard the rights and security of the Thadou and other affected communities.