With 248 militancy relateddeaths in 2006 (data till October 22), Manipur remains the third most violenttheatre of conflict in the country, behind Jammu & Kashmir and Chhattisgarh.While each of Manipur’s nine districts has been affected by unending militantviolence, severely impacting on the capacity of the state to govern, administerjustice, and provide minimal security to its citizens, the pattern of violencehas been the most persistent and convoluted in the hilly district ofChurachandpur.