Myriad violent insurgencies have beset India's northeastern states for decades. Over 50,000 people have been killed since India's independence in 1947. Large numbers of people have also been displaced by conflict.

Some of the battles are campaigns for autonomy - whether for an entire state, a district or a tribal homeland. Other violence arises from warfare between tribes, often over access to land. There have also been vicious anti-foreigner campaigns, often against Bangladeshi migrants.

The conflicts have many root causes. One factor is the states' isolation from the rest of India. Another is the multiplicity of tribes, cultures, ethnicities and religions that pepper the region.

International and humanitarian access to the states, known as the "seven sisters", is poor so precise information about atrocities and victims is hard to come by.

Population of the seven states	38.5 million (2001 census)
Number killed since independence	50,000 (Center of Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance, 2004)
Violent incidents in 2006	1,366 (Ministry of Home Affairs)
Deaths in 2006	780 (Ministry of Home Affairs)