As the sun began to slip behind the verdant Manipur hills, Kolom Rabi prepared for a long night ahead. Hurriedly he slung a cartridge belt over his shoulder, strapped on a walkie-talkie and grabbed his shotgun. In the surrounding houses, dozens of his neighbours – farmers, students, teachers and office workers by day – donned their green army fatigues and picked up their rifles, before gathering in a sandbag-lined bunker on the village outskirts to await instructions. Tonight, it was Rabi’s turn to be the commander of this makeshift civilian militia.
“The Indian state has failed to provide us security so we have been protecting ourselves with our own guns for over a year now,” said Rabi. “I don’t know when this will all come to an end.”
