IMPHAL, June 19: The Thadou Inpi Manipur (TIM), the apex body representing the Thadou tribe, has urged the Justice Gita Mittal Committee, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla to recognise a third category of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state, amid the ongoing aftermath of ethnic violence that erupted in May 2023.

Currently, the Manipur government officially recognises two categories of IDPs: those living in relief camps and registered with deputy commissioners (DCs), and those living outside relief camps but within the state, also registered with DCs. However, TIM highlighted that a significant number of Thadou families displaced by violence are living outside the state and remain entirely unregistered, unreached, and unsupported by any state or central relief mechanisms.

In memorandums submitted to key authorities, the Thadou Inpi Manipur called for the immediate recognition of these families as a distinct third category of IDPs. Many of them are reportedly residing in cities such as Delhi, Guwahati, Shillong, and Bengaluru, facing severe psychological trauma, financial instability, and a complete lack of official acknowledgment or assistance.

“These Thadou families were displaced not out of privilege, but out of fear and necessity. Their survival should be recognised, not punished,” said TIM joint general secretary Manggou Thadou. “It is time the government formally acknowledges them as Internally Displaced Persons under a distinct and just category.”

TIM is also calling for the issuance of displacement certificates, a formal verification drive, and inclusion in all relief, rehabilitation, and compensation frameworks.

The Thadou community further emphasised its distinct ethnic and cultural identity, asserting that it should not be subsumed under the umbrella term ‘Kuki’. Citing the 1956 Presidential Order, TIM reaffirmed that Thadou is one of the 29 constitutionally recognised Scheduled Tribes of Manipur. The demand for separate recognition was reiterated at the Thadou Convention held in Guwahati in November 2024.

In the memorandum, TIM general secretary Michael Lamjathang Haokip, whose home in Churachandpur was attacked twice by armed mobs, also demanded the removal of the label ‘Any Kuki Tribes’ from the Scheduled Tribe list in Manipur, arguing that it undermines the distinct identities of tribes like Thadou.

A preliminary list of displaced Thadou families has been submitted alongside the memorandums.