Chandel: The Office of the Haokip Youth Organisation (HYO), Head Office Lamka, Songpi District – 795128, has issued a clarification for public awareness and for all communities and the media fraternity regarding recent misinterpretations. The statement Ref. No. HYO/PR/2026/10 dated 19th October 2026, signed by Thang John Tellang, General Secretary, HYO, deals with three issues — Haokip Phungpi Selding Lhuh 2018, the identity of Michael Lamjathang Haokip and James Haokip, and the Thadou clan.
On Haokip Phungpi Selding Lhuh 2018, HYO clarified that the Selding Lhuh held in 2018 at Teiseng Village, Churachandpur, which declared that Haokip is not Thadou — as Thadou is the younger brother of Haokip and Kipgen — has no connection whatsoever with the ongoing Kuki and Kacha-Naga conflict and the burning down of Chassad village. The organisation said linking the 2018 traditional congregation with the present violence is false and misleading.
The HYO further stated that the Selding Lhuh was purely an internal, traditional and identity affirmation of the Haokip people and must not be dragged into the present conflict to mislead the public. It explained that the gathering was about clan identity within the Shongthu lineage, where Haokip and Thadou are distinct clans, and was never meant to be a political statement against any community. The attempt to connect it with Chassad is an effort to divert the real issue, it said.
On the identity of Michael Lamjathang Haokip and James Haokip, HYO stated that the public must be made aware that Mr. Michael Lamjathang Haokip and Mr. James Haokip, who are presently hiding in Imphal, are controlled as Meitei puppets by former Chief Minister Mr. N. Biren Singh. The organisation directly alleged political patronage behind their activities while sitting in Imphal.
HYO clarified that their real identity is Haokip. They are fake Thadou. They are using the name ‘Thadou’ for their personal interests and for some upcoming business deals only. They do not represent the Haokip people, nor the Thadou community, nor even the Kuki community, the statement said in clear terms. According to HYO, no statement issued by them should be taken as representative of the Haokip clan, Thadou clan, Shongthu lineage or the wider Kuki nomenclature.
On Thadou Clan and the 1956 Divide-and-Rule Recognition, HYO stated for the information of all communities and media that Thadou is the youngest clan among the Shongthu lineage. The Thadou clan comprises six sub-clans: Singson, Singsit, Sitlhou, Lhouvum, Lhoujem, and Thomsong. It explained that Haokip, Kipgen and Thadou are all separate clans under the same Shongthu lineage, Thadou being the youngest among them.
The organisation further stated that the recognition of the Thadou clan as a tribe by the Government of Manipur in 1956 was a divide-and-rule tactic aimed at splitting the unity and identity of the Kuki community, particularly among cognate clans of the Shongthu lineage sharing similar dialects, such as Haokip, Kipgen, Changsan, Dimngel, Lhungdim, Misao, Guite, Thadou, Mate, Kilong, Haolai, Lupheng, Thangeo, Touthang, Doungel, and others. This recognition, HYO said, created long-term identity confusion.
Explaining the nomenclature, HYO reiterated that Kuki is the collective nomenclature name of different tribes, while Shongthu is the lineage name. The imposition of one clan name as a tribe name in 1956 was aimed at dividing the cognate clans who share similar dialects and common ancestry under Shongthu, it alleged.
The HYO concluded with an appeal to all not to be misled by vested interests who are using the names of clans and tribes for personal and political gains, especially at a time when Chassad and other areas are witnessing conflict. The organisation said it will continue to stand for truthful history and identity.
