For close to three months now Manipur has been burning. The law-and-order machinery of the state has completely collapsed. There is now a virtual civil war between the two dominant communities in the state: The Meiteis and the Kukis. The state police force have taken sides. As a result heavily armed vigilantes from both communities now impose their writ on the districts that they have a majority in.

What is evident is that a series of blunders were omitted both by the state and Central authorities that led to such a tragic and shameful deterioration of the state.

Why cant the Centre ask Biren Singh to go? After all he is presiding over a failed state? The final resort is President’s rule – why shouldn’t the Centre have imposed it? And, what do we expect next?

To discuss why things have gone so terribly wrong in Manipur and what needs to be done, Editorial Director (Publishing) Raj Chengappa is joined by India Today magazine’s executive editor Kaushik Deka. Kaushik is an acknowledged expert in Northeastern Affairs and is the editor of India Today’s website for the region. He has also just returned after spending a week in Manipur travelling around the region and talking to a cross section of people. Besides, he has written a cover story for India Today magazine on the subject in the latest issue.

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Produced by Anna Priyadarshini

Sound mix by Sachin Dwivedi