‘Focused on Manipur but reflective of much of the North East, this powerful, moving book weaves an intricate tapestry of human stories, cynical politics, individual heroism and collective humiliation. It is important we look into the mirror this book holds up for us. Anubha Bhonsle reproaches our hypocrisy but ad?dresses our humanity.’—P. Sainath

Based on over ten years of travel in India’s North East, this powerful book by award-winning journalist Anubha Bhonsle examines the complex and difficult history of Manipur that has led, among other tragedies, to the horrors of ethnic strife and government apathy that the state witnessed between 2023 and 2025.

Through the story of Irom Sharmila—who was on a hunger strike, and kept in custody and force-fed by a nasal tube, for sixteen years—and many others who fell victim to violence or despair or have stood up to fight for peace and justice, she shows us an entire society ravaged by insurgency and counter-insurgency operations, corruption and ethnic rivalries. Drawing upon extensive interviews with personnel of the Indian army and intelligence agencies, politicians and bureaucrats, leaders of insurgent groups, Irom Sharmila and her family and ordinary people across Manipur, Anubha Bhonsle has produced a compelling and important book on the North East, the Indian nation, identity politics and the enormous human cost of conflict. This landmark book about our recent past is a necessary read if we wish to understand our troubled present.