In the heart of Manipur’s hills, the Kuki community voices a chilling reality: two-and-a-half years of violence, displacement, and systemic neglect. PM Modi’s recent visit, they say, was more optics than action-children dressed, camps prepped, but the ground reality ignored. From demands for separate administration to warnings about illegal migrants and generations being brainwashed with hate, this is a story of survival, mistrust, and the urgent call for justice. Are the hills and valleys of Manipur destined to remain divided-or can dialogue truly replace years of trauma? Wilson Hangshing of the Kuki People’s Alliance reveals the untold story of Manipur in conversation with Kumkum Chadha.