India, Jan. 21 -- A leopard, of course, cannot change its spots. But can a Mad Hatter-like person change his hat? Across the world, analysts, policy-makers, politicians, industry pundits, even psychologists ponder this question in sometimes agitated, sometimes flustered, and sometimes solemn manner. This is especially so as we complete one year of Donald Trump taking over as the forty-seventh president of the United States of America. It was 12 months of absolute madness, disruptions, randomness, chaos, violence, verbal threats, tariff-and-trade warnings and actions, and mayhem. This is possibly how Trump's first year appeared to the outside world.

Back at home, there was a paradox. A large section was flustered, and astounded by how Tru...