Context
The Thadou tribe was recently in the news following an attack in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district in which three church leaders from the community were killed and several others sustained injuries.
About Thadou Tribe
- The Thadou are an indigenous tribal community mainly inhabiting Manipur, adjoining Northeastern states and parts of Myanmar.
- In Manipur, they primarily live in the hill regions around the Imphal Valley and constitute the state’s second-largest tribe after the Meiteis, with a population of about 1.9 lakh as per the 2011 Census.
- The community shares close ethnic and cultural ties with the broader Chin-Kuki-Mizo groups, and their language belongs to the Tibeto-Burman branch of the Sino-Tibetan family.
- Thadou settlements are usually located in forested hilly areas and generally lack a planned village layout. The village chief’s house is typically the largest structure and serves as a centre for community discussions and dispute resolution.
- The community mainly practices subsistence activities such as cultivation, hunting, fishing and animal rearing, with Jhum cultivation being the dominant agricultural system.
- Traditionally, the Thadou followed an animistic faith centred on nature spirits and the supreme deity Pathen, though the majority now practice Christianity.
- The Hun-Thadou festival is an important cultural celebration marking the arrival of the New Year.
