One of the most significant fallouts of state and militant violence in Assam in the past 20 years has been the growing marginalisation of the average citizen. However, the failure of the state as an institution and the rise of insurgency have created a situation where civil society must make use of what little democratic space is left and try to play a positive role. In this context it is useful to take note of the experience of civil society interventions in Nagaland and Andhra Pradesh and draw lessons from it for Assam where the roll-call of the dead has been unending.
