Starting from 2005 when a government-sponsored vigilante movement, Salwa Judum, killed hundreds and drove thousands of villagers into camps, to the present day when it is the most militarized area in the country, the war in Bastar in central India has taken a heavy toll on the people of Bastar, the security forces, the Maoists and human rights activists. The fact that it has some of India’s biggest mineral reserves has made the conflict even more intense and destroyed Bastar’s unique ecology and culture.

Based on extensive field visits, court testimonies, government documents and an active participant role in the events she writes about, Nandini Sundar brings alive these issues through real-life stories of villagers, Maoists and security forces. She also tracks the shocking failures of Indian democracy through the responses of political parties, the media, human rights activists and the judiciary to the ongoing crisis.