India, June 1 -- A favourite story which I heard years ago presents a scenario wherein a habitual transgressor jumps a red light, only to be accosted by a burly policeman who emerges from behind a tree trunk. "Didn't you see the red light?" is the question hurled in a gruff voice by the hefty cop. "Sir, I saw the red light, but I didn't notice you!" is the sheepish reply of the other.

Jokes apart, it is a fact that our character is often truly tested when no one is watching! Whatever represented the truth a thousand years ago, should still count as true, in absolute terms. A lie is a lie, a theft is a theft, a deceitful act is a deceitful act, whatever the era, whatever the situation.

Yet, the fine lines that define rectitude and also d...