Imphal, Aug 6 : In an important development towards restoring peace in Manipur, various Civil Society Organisations representing the Thadou tribe and Meitei community held a vital meeting in Imphal on Wednesday, organisation sources said.

The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), the Meitei community apex body, All Manipur United Clubs Organisation (AMUCO), Federation of Civil Society Organisations (FOCS), Ima groups, student leaders and Arambai Tenggol held the crucial meeting with the 13-member delegation of Thadou Inpi Manipur (TIM), a tribal organisation.

After the first-ever such meeting, a leader of the TIM, without elaborating on their discussions, said that they discussed the peace process in Manipur.

A TIM statement said that historically and culturally, there is no community known as 'Kuki' indigenous to Manipur.

'The term 'Kuki' has foreign origins, and those who adopt it today often do so to push a separatist and extremist ideology. Many who currently identify as Kuki are suspected illegal immigrants, having settled in Manipur in recent decades,' the statement said.

It said that over time, 'church politics' and 'religious affiliations' have also played a significant role in 'misclassifying' many members of the Thadou tribe as Kuki, creating further confusion and undermining the true identity of the Thadou people.

'This has become a threat not only to the Thadou tribe, but also to the Meiteis, Meitei-Pangal, other tribal communities and Manipur's unity as a whole,' the statement said, adding that the point to remember is that 'Kuki' is not an ethnic identity; it is a political ideology.

'Let us stand united in truth. The path to lasting peace in Manipur begins with clarity of identity, rejection of extremism, and a renewed commitment to coexistence,' the TIM said.

Wednesday's meeting between TIM and Meitei CSOs in Imphal is the first consultation since the ethnic violence broke out in the state in May 2023. However, TIM had previously held meetings with Meitei CSOs in Delhi.

Political observers felt that Wednesday's meeting could open a new chapter in the ethnic conflict resolution process, led not only by political figures but by the collective will of the people through their civil and student bodies.

/IANS