India is no stranger to periodic outbursts of violence.

But the slow-burning horror in its northeastern state of Manipur has shaken the country and paralyzed its Parliament. And there is no resolution in sight.

A small state bordering Myanmar, Manipur has been rocked since early May by a fierce conflict between the Meitei and Kuki communities over land, tribal status, the drug trade and migration. The fighting has left a trail of humiliation, injury and death. Women have been publicly stripped, their dignity robbed by rival factions; in some particularly horrific cases, they have been raped and murdered. Countless lives have been uprooted, with the ruins of people¡¯s property serving as grim reminders of the insecurity they face. And, so far, the central government and opposition parties have made negligible progress in ending the horror and restoring peace.