The short-termism in our stars

If only politicians could think past the next 8 minutes:

Manipur’s misfortunes can seem irrelevant to Indians who live in the country’s heartlands. Yet the state’s fate has national implications. It has been riven by a decades-long insurgency, led largely by Meitei groups who desire independence. That had been quelled in recent years, but as frustration and alienation deepen there is a risk that it will resurface. Above all, the crisis offers a warning about the dangers of identity politics. Across India, parties increasingly campaign on promises of special privileges and protections for ethnic or caste groups. As affairs in Manipur demonstrate, that is as likely to widen rifts as to heal them.