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        There can be no room for untruth in any circumstance in any clime in the world. That is the norm set by the gospel of truth referred to in Buddhist jatakas.Mayavadins regard the universe as a mixture of truth and untruth. Mithyamithya vyavaharoyam prapanchaha, they say.

        They talk of transients as untrue but they hold on like others to rutam (truthful speech) and satyam (non-discrimination in conduct).

        These are norms of ethics which are generally applicable. There are special norms which are applicable in the domain of Statecraft.

        Accordingly State secrets are protected from subjects and enemies by false presentations. The subjects keep in peace that way and the enemies are deceived.

        Even here covenants between countries cannot be breached by trotting out any alibi. Wars are caused invariably by such breach, though inexcusable.The world sets up an international organisation to monitor the conduct of member nations to control any misbehaviour. This is the theory.

        In actual practice, it is not so. A classic instance is in the US waging a war without UN sanction on the basis of an untruth of which it was very well aware. Money and power had corrupted it.