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.
Case 1. The Sheesh Mahal
The dust and soundbites of the Delhi election are now behind us. Still, the issue of the ‘Sheesh Mahal’, the official residence of the former Chief Minister of Delhi, renovated extravagantly at state expense, remains a popular talking point. It centres around how this piece of real estate is to be used. It would be absurd to use it for any purpose other than as the official residence of the next Chief Minister. So why is this even an issue for discussion? There is a psychological underpinning to this phenomenon. I will call it moral high-standing and poverty-glorification.
According to some reports, the bungalow was renovated for Rs 52.71 crore, including ₹33.49 crore spent on reconstructing the house. Additional accommodation arrangements—a drawing room, two meeting rooms, and a dining room with a capacity of 24 people—were also made. This became an election issue on two grounds: one, the former Chief Minister rose to power on the plank of being an anti-corruption crusader. Two, he had vowed to avoid ostentation and live the life of an ordinary man. As the recently concluded elections show, he failed on both counts and lost the people’s trust. So, what is to become of the house, viewed by many as a symbol of corruption?
The BJP’s poll campaign painted the residence as a symbol of AAP’s hypocrisy, corruption, and extravagance. However, not using the house as the official residence of the next Chief Minister is equally hypocritical and wasteful. An asset has been created that cannot be squandered on something which serves no useful purpose in the current context, such as a museum of corruption or guest house, as is being bandied about. That would be a wasteful expenditure. Why build another residence for the Chief Minister when something functional is already available? We need to stop moral grand-standing and glorification of poverty—a psychological throwback to the days when India was abysmally poor. The house is not corrupt, neither is wealth evil. People are. So, what is needed is to deal with the corruption in public life and improve transparency and accountability. That is the more challenging option that the next Delhi government must choose.
Case 2. The Reality Show.
Ranveer Allahbadia, known as @BeerBiceps on the reality show India Got Latent, made some inappropriate comments that could be seen as promoting incest. This understandably caused outrage in civil society, especially as the individual was a popular YouTuber with a fan following in the millions, primarily impressionable youth. The backlash from the public was severe. Ranveer promptly apologised, and Samay Raina, the show’s host, removed all ‘Indias Got Latent’ videos from his channel. In a tweet on X, Raina stated: “My only objective was to make people laugh and have a good time”.
But is such content humourous? We must be scraping the bottom of the barrel in terms of public decency if content suggesting incest with one’s parents is deemed to be funny! While this show went overboard, many others rely on coarse language, indecent gestures, and skimpy clothes to boost their ratings. And our younger generation is lapping it up, perhaps to be ‘cool’ in their peer groups, whatever that means. The debates on the issue, on one side, flag the right to free speech. On the other side, criminal punishment is sought for the wrongdoers. Both positions are extreme.
In the classic 1939 movie Gone With the Wind, censors nearly cut the famous line from Rhett Butler (Clark Gable): “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” They considered this expletive inappropriate for film. In under a century, we appear to have shifted dramatically to a point where even the most vulgar content seeks acceptance.
So, is Indian society facing psychological trauma? In any case, we need to reflect on and address our issues. It is possible that the individuals involved in this distressing reality show might themselves be victims of parental child abuse, leading them to resort to dark humor as a way to vent their frustrations. Alternatively, were they just vulgar, catering to the lowest human instincts to boost their ratings? We may never know. In any case, shows dubbed as entertainment need to get away from creating content for the lowest base instinct of their viewers. Society must also stop patronising such shows. Such mutually reinforcing attitudes could lead to a better society. In the interim, such shows could be classified as crass and vulgar and rated CV before airing. That would leave the choice to viewer discretion.
Case 3. Judicial Pronouncements
Two recent judicial orders give cause for concern. The first deals with a case of bigamy in the armed forces, wherein the Punjab and Haryana High Court quashed an order dismissing an Indian Air Force corporal from service for marrying twice without prior permission from the authority concerned. The two-judge Bench considered the dismissal arbitrary, asserting that the Muslim petitioner complied with the permissible plural marriage provisions under the Islamic personal law. The Bench, while accepting that the petitioner did not initially secure permission for the second marriage, was of the view that “the Air Force authorities should have considered the mitigating circumstances, including the apparent consent of his first wife.” The Bench asserted the court’s role was to advance “substantial justice” and that depriving the petitioner of his livelihood could jeopardise his and his family’s right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution. In another recent judgement, the Chattisgarh High Court acquitted a 40-year-old man convicted of forced sodomy against his wife, which eventually led to her death. The Single-Bench exonerated the petitioner on the grounds that a man cannot be prosecuted for marital rape in India.
Both these judgements are troubling. In the case of the Air Force corporal, Defence Service Regulations prohibit an individual from contracting a second marriage without permission of the competent authority, regardless of an individual’s faith. Rules and Regulations in the Armed Forces do not differentiate between individuals based on religion or any other grounds and are uniformly applied to all. Granting exemption to a Muslim man because his religion allows him to have four wives is retrograde to good order and military discipline and opens the door to others to seek similar exemption. The reasoning given that the first wife did not object to the second marriage is also troubling, especially in the context of Indian society, which is still male-dominated, and most women are economically dependent on their husbands. The woman likely had little choice in agreeing to her husband’s demand. Most importantly, it harms the fabric of the institution of the Armed Forces. The very bedrock of discipline in which the Services function is dented, and the consequences may be too severe to fathom.
In the second case, the judgement opens the door for sodomy in marriage, leaving the woman weak and vulnerable. Both judgements are a reflection of a society which still accords primacy to the needs of the male at the expense of the fairer sex. Judicial activism can be stretched too far, and it would behove the courts to exercise some circumspection in matters about the military.
Indian society is in flux. To reclaim our rightful place in the world, we must move towards our goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047. To this end, society must evolve toward greater social equity. We must do away with moral pontification, stop glorifying poverty, and move toward greater transparency and accountability in public life. The courts have an important role to play in ensuring the speedy dispensation of justice without resorting to judicial overreach.
Maj Gen Dhruv C Katoch, a military veteran, currently serves as the Director of India Foundation. The opinions stated are personal.