The murder of gangster Sunil Balyan—also known as Tillu Tajpuriya—in front of Tihar jail guards reflects the deep rot in India’s prison system. Lawless jails have infamously sold privileges to VIP prisoners and let ganglords run their empires with impunity. Even India’s highest-profile jail seems just as bad.
Manipur still a tinderbox. It requires focused, sustained attention from the centre
Violence has now abated in Manipur but it’s still a tinderbox with widening ethno-religious fault lines. Centre’s claims of peace in Northeast are severely dented. It also has serious ramifications beyond Manipur’s borders. A diverse, insurgency-hit region needs focused, sustained attention. It mustn’t be out of sight, out of mind.