Mother, Where’s My Country?

Published in 2016, this is Anubha Bhonsle’s first work of non fiction.

Mother, Where’s My Country? is based on over ten years of reportage from India’s Northeast—focusing on Manipur’s entrenched conflicts, including decades of insurgency, counter-insurgency operations by Indian security forces, ethnic rivalries, corruption, and human rights violations.

At the centre of the book is the story and life of Irom Sharmila, who undertook a 16-year hunger strike protesting the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, AFSPA, during which she was force-fed via nasal tube while in custody.

The book has extensive interviews with Indian army, intelligence officials, politicians, insurgent leaders, Sharmila’s family members and Manipur’s civilians to illuminate the cycle of violence, impunity, and governmental and nationwide neglect.

Praised for its depth and writing, the work is described by journalist P. Sainath as a powerful, moving book that interweaves personal heroism, collective humiliation, political cynicism.

Reviews of the book, include those by Pradeep Phanjoubam, Madhu Trehan’s interview with Anubha Bhonsle that you can watch here, Nilanjana Roy’s recommendation from 2016, and the Indian Express’s review In the Broken Land.