Imphal: In a significant development that could reshape the discourse around tribal identities in Manipur, the Hmar Tlangval, a prominent organisation representing the Hmar tribe, has unequivocally endorsed the joint call by the Thadou Inpi Manipur and Meitei Alliance to remove the contentious term “Any Kuki Tribes” (AKT) from the state’s Scheduled Tribes list. This strong show of solidarity comes after a joint memorandum was submitted to Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, Jual Oram, on June 23, 2025, pressing for the immediate deletion of AKT.
In a press statement released today, the Hmar Tlangval echoed the concerns raised in the memorandum, describing the inclusion of AKT as a matter of “urgent and serious concern.” They asserted that the AKT category, which was introduced in 2003, poses a grave threat to the distinct identity and rights of various smaller non-Naga tribes within Manipur. The organisation specifically highlighted how this category has led to smaller tribes being “subsumed under the Kuki identity through force and coercion by Kuki supremacists,” thereby undermining their unique heritage.
The joint memorandum, which has now found a powerful ally in the Hmar Tlangval, aligns perfectly with the Manipur government’s consistent stance on the issue. It notably references cabinet decisions from October 19, 2018, and January 2, 2023, along with a formal recommendation sent to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs on February 8, 2023, all urging the removal of AKT under Article 342 of the Constitution. The organisations collectively argue that the 2003 inclusion of AKT was politically motivated, lacked constitutional legitimacy, and directly violated the well-established framework set by the 1956 SC/ST Amendment Act, which meticulously recognized 29 specific Scheduled Tribes in Manipur after exhaustive ethnographic surveys.
Furthermore, the memorandum elaborates on how the AKT category acts as a vague and expandable label, resulting in the problematic duplication of already recognized tribes such as the Thadou, Hmar, Paite, Vaiphei, Simte, Kom, and Aimol, all of whom are distinctly listed in the ST schedule. The groups contend that common clans and surnames like Haokip, Doungel, Kipgen, and Sitlhou, legitimately belonging to recognized tribes, are being erroneously lumped under AKT, thereby creating confusion and opening up legal loopholes. A serious warning was also issued regarding the term’s inherent ambiguity, which could potentially be exploited by non-native groups or even illegal immigrants, with fabricated identities like “Rohingya-Kuki” or “Kachin-Kuki” posing a significant threat to Manipur’s demographic integrity and the rightful claims of its indigenous tribal communities.
The Hmar Tlangval firmly reiterated that the 32 officially listed Scheduled Tribes in Manipur, excluding AKT, are entirely sufficient to represent the state’s diverse tribal communities. Their statement emphatically declared, “The need for ‘Any Kuki Tribe’ is null and void,” and urged for the immediate removal of the term without any attempts to rename or replace it with variants like “Kuki Tribe.” Both the Hmar Tlangval and the joint memorandum assert that ‘Kuki’ is not a distinct tribe, language, or cultural identity but rather a politicized umbrella term that directly threatens the legal and cultural sanctity of the ST list. The statements underscored the potential for AKT to ignite communal tensions, facilitate identity fraud, and lead to the misuse of tribal benefits, concluding that the “inclusion of AKT is constitutionally flawed, ethnographically invalid, and a threat to peaceful coexistence.”
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