India, Feb. 16 -- Many years ago, as a young officer in the Indian Army, I read a book by Norman F Dixon titled, 'On the Psychology of Military Incompetence". This well-researched book on the reasons for and the result of incompetence at the highest levels of military leadership was compulsory reading for our promotion examinations. It gave a peek into the psychology of military leaders, which prompted specific actions on their part. Looking at present-day Indian society gives rise to the question: Is there a psychological underpinning to what we see happening in India? Some discussions that have flooded social, print and audio-visual media are instructive. Let us examine three cases.
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