Thadou Community Condemns Armed Attack on Leader’s Family Home in Churachandpur
In a shocking incident, the family home of Michael Lamjathang Haokip, a prominent Thadou student leader, was attacked by a group of armed assailants on August 25 in Peniel village, Churachandpur, Manipur. The Thadou Community International (TCI) has strongly condemned the attack, describing it as an act of intimidation aimed at the entire Thadou community.
According to a statement released by TCI, around 30 armed individuals, allegedly aligned with a “Kuki supremacy agenda,” launched a violent assault on Haokip’s residence. The attackers reportedly fired multiple rounds at the house and attempted to set fire to adjoining properties. This attack occurred shortly after Haokip had participated in a televised panel discussion focusing on the topic of “Kuki Supremacy and its Agenda.”
The TCI denounced the attack as both “barbaric and cowardly,” asserting that it was not just an assault on Haokip but an attempt to terrorize the broader Thadou community. This is the second attack on Haokip’s home in recent months, with a similar incident reported on May 6, 2023.
The TCI statement highlighted ongoing tensions between the Thadou and Kuki communities, accusing “Kuki supremacists” of perpetrating widespread human rights abuses against Thadous. These abuses, according to TCI, include restrictions on obtaining tribe certificates and participating in Thadou cultural activities.
Despite the provocation, the TCI urged the Thadou community to remain committed to non-violence and legal avenues for resolving disputes. “We believe in non-violence, the rule of law, and civil discourse,” the statement read, calling on community members to stay “steadfast to Thadou values and to remain calm yet courageous in the face of fear and tension.”
The organization has called for swift government action, demanding that the perpetrators be brought to justice. “We urge the authorities to take stern and immediate action against those responsible for the attacks on Michael Lamjathang,” the TCI concluded.
