Thadou Tribe Not Included in FoH Indigenous Pillar, Thadou Students Association Issues Clarification

The Indigenous Pillar which includes list of 25 communities in Manipur was unveiled by the Federation of Haomee (FOH) on October 6 a Sawombung Khunjao Imphal West.

However, there has been comments and feedbacks regarding the non- inclusion of few communities in the list of the 25 communities engraved in the pillar.

Reacting to the names of tribes/ communities listed in the pillar, Thadou Students Association General Headquarter issued a release on October 13 stating they acknowledge the FoH's intent to preserve the Yek Salai system and promote cultural unity.

However, TSA clarifies that 25 communities listed on the Indigenous Pillar and their seven Salais representation is not a Government-authorized or legally defined classification of indigenous persons in the state of Manipur.

TSA stated that “as per The Manipur Inner Line Permit (ILP) (Amendment) Rules, 2022 under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR), 1873, extended to Manipur in 2019, the State government officially recognizes three categories of indigenous persons: Meitei or Meetei, Meitei-Pangal (Manipuri Muslims), and the recognized Scheduled Tribes, comprising 33 tribes as notified under Article 342(1) of the Constitution of India”.

All these groups, including the Thadou community, are legally recognized as indigenous persons of Manipur, provided they resided in the State on or before December 31, 1961 stated the release.

Of these, 24 communities are already notified as Scheduled Tribe Category, all identifying with the broader Naga ethnic family. The Meitel community, represented by FoH President Sapamcha Jadumani and others, may express its cultural solidarity through such initiatives, but it does not represent all Meiteis or the full indigenous diversity of Manipur, the release added.

The TSA also emphasizes that the eleven non-Naga Scheduled Tribes, including Thadou, Hmar, Mizo, Zomi, and others, though not represented in the Yek Salai system or seven-coloured flag, are equally recognized by the Government as indigenous persons. Their exclusion from the FoH's pillar should also not be viewed as marginalization but as a cultural expression limited to certain communities alone.

Moreover, the Federation of Haomee (FoH) should refrain from promoting the notion that only the 25 listed communities constitute the indigenous peoples of Manipur stated the release while adding that  FoH represents these 25 communities collectively and is not an exclusively Meitei civil society organization.

Therefore, any statements or interpretations that could provoke tension or create misunderstanding among indigenous groups should be avoided in the interest of unity and mutual respect, and such views, if any, should not be construed, read, or taken as the collective perspective or decision of the community as a whole, the release added.

Reaffirming its stand for peace and unity, the TSA recalls the community understanding reached on August 6, 2025, between the Thadou community and major Manipur civil society organizations such as COCOMI, AMUCO, FOCS, and AT, pledging to protect Manipur's territorial integrity and promote peaceful coexistence among all communities.

TSA stated that  such collective effort represents a broader and more inclusive mandate than any single organizational Initiative like FoH. The association stated that that the Indigenous Pillar erected by Federation of Haomee (FoH) should not be seen as an exclusionary act against any tribe but as a specific cultural commemoration by certain groups or an NGO.

TSA call upon all indigenous communities to continue working together and urges all Thadou individuals and the public not to be misled by misinformation that seeks to create divisions.