India, Nov. 9 -- There's a certain tragic pattern that repeats itself through history - a pattern that might well be called the Karna Syndrome. It is not just a mythological symbol but a living political phenomenon that re-emerges whenever a man, convinced of his own brilliance, begins to believe that he alone defines discipline, truth, and power. Such a person may rise high, shake the system, even appear invincible for a while - but eventually, he ends up isolated, misused by others, and consumed by his own ego. He can disturb, yes - but he can never truly defeat the system that gave him birth.

Look at modern India, and this syndrome shows its face in several forms. You see it in people like Subramanian Swamy, Prashant Kishor, Shatrugha...