The people of Manipur in the hills and valley have been living so restlessly by fighting with the situation. Economic hardship, though a reality of basic needs, becomes secondary to safety of life ever since the threat to their right to life became a daily phenomenon. Every single human rights violation is followed by people’s protest. They come out to take to the streets; they have done whatever they can do; from sit-in-protest to self-immolation, from rally to mothers’ nude agitation, from economic blockade to general strike and from effigy-burning to hunger strike. All communities, age groups, people from different walks of life, students, all professional groups, women, children and even disabled communities join the protests.

In the summer of 2004, Manipur witnessed a people’s uprising against the draconian AFSPA and the regime of suppression. Mothers shed their robes parading a nude protest in front of the former palace, the Kangla, then occupied by a unit of para military force. Eventually long occupation of the Kangla, national citadel of the Manipuris, by Indian security forces was ended, though major demand of the people to repeal AFSPA remains unfulfilled. Precious lives were lost, thousands were injured and jail could not give enough rooms for the arrested protesters. Mr. Pebam Chitaranjan, a student leader committed self-immolation on 15 August 2004, the very day of Indian Independence Day. During the same summer, five other young boys survived the human torches.