This book is about the brutality, impunity, and insensitivity that the public experienced in India's northeastern state of Manipur. As inhabitants of an insurgency-ridden state, the public went through a period marked by a complete absence of rule of law. When central forces were inducted with the stated objective of restoring normalcy, the public was optimistic about finding some breathing space, free from intimidation, threat, and coercion. Unfortunately, this hope was dashed when forces became another source of misery. In this book, the author revisits some of the most horrific instances of security forces' atrocities against innocent people in the name of counterinsurgency, primarily to cover up failures that allowed rebels to injure their soldiers.

He describes how uniform men abused the protection clause in the contentious Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 1958, traumatizing innocent public with false accusation of assisting insurgents. Aside from the great stories, the author offers methodically documented cases of extrajudicial killings in every district of Manipur, while the legendary long hands of law self-amputate and choose to watch helplessly. The book is candid and free from bias, demonstrating how violence is profoundly rooted in Manipur's DNA, with AFSPA helping to precipitate.