Manipur burning was far more than just a conflict between Kukis and Meitei. As the state was engulfed in flames, the doors of the state armory were left wide open, fueling the violence—the police, instead of protecting the innocent, escorted rioters into the heart of victims’ neighborhoods. The notorious Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), enforced selectively in the hills region alone, further stoked the unrest.

Furthermore, several associations that penned a letter to Rekha Sharma, chairperson of the NCW (National Commission of Women's Chairman), shedding light on the harrowing exploitation of women since the outbreak of violence in Manipur, received a callous response. Their message was penned a month before the viral videos depicting women being paraded naked.

In August, in a candid interview, Lien Gangte, president of the North American Manipur Tribal Association (NAMTA), talked to Irum Khan about confronting the stark realities underlying the violence in the state.