As India rejoices over the success of its moon mission, and is set to host the G-20 summit, it might be useful for its leaders to heed lessons from the Chandrayaan mission, viz., that “instead of focusing on achieving success, we [ISRO] focussed on eliminating failures”. This is a pre-election year and it is more important for policymakers not to sweep uncomfortable aspects under the carpet, or remain content with an apparent surface calm that can oftentimes be illusory. Several disparate developments — not all of them healthy — are currently taking place across the Indian landmass. Several have the potential to cause serious trouble now and in the future. It is essential and important that these are properly assessed, lest any of the situations go out of control. All events have a life of their own. If quite a few, or even if some of them were to coalesce as elections approach, the nation could face a difficult situation.
Manipur, a microcosm of the northeast
Manipur, in India’s northeast and which abuts Myanmar is a test case. This State has been on the boil for several weeks now, and as policymakers endlessly debate the reasons for the Manipur imbroglio, area experts by now recognise that it indeed has the potential to engulf the entire northeast region. The preponderance of different tribes with distinct affiliations across the northeast, makes it essential that the situation is controlled at the earliest for, if matters were to get out of hand still more, they might well provoke a ‘prairie fire’.
