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Dec 08, 2025
Rinita Mazumdar

An Indic View of “The Banality of Evil” and What the Media Calls White Collar Crimes

According to Hannah Arendt, evil has become routine, banal, and even normalised: ordinary people committing ruthless acts on innocent people. Since the perpetrators are not “professional killers”, but rather professionals, ordinary human beings, even doctors, who are in the task of healing, a new name has been coined by the Indian media about such crimes: “White collar crime.” In 1971, the social psychologist Philip Zimbardo demonstrated in his film, The Stanford Prison Experiment, that certain social and political conditions are favourable to the emergence of the banality of evil. In his book The Lucifer Effect, Zimbardo writes, “What is most striking in Arendt’s account of Eichmann [1] is all the ways in which he seemed absolutely ordinary ... Arendt’s phrase of the ’banality of evil’ continues to resonate because genocide has been unleashed around the world and torture and terrorism continue to be common features of our global landscape. We prefer to distance ourselves from such a fundamental truth, seeing the madness of evildoers and the senseless violence of tyrants as dispositional characters within their personal makeup. Arendt’s analysis was the first to deny this orientation by observing the fluidity with which social forces can prompt normal people to perform horrific acts.” There is no exact correspondence to the concept of evil or to Lucifer in a personified form, as in the Abrahamic religions [2], in the Indic systems' metaphysics or epistemology. There are concepts of the Devas and Asuras, but those are more fluid and pluralistic, not personified in one form, and transference of one over to the other is possible. In other words, there is the concept of Asuric or demonic character, but the embodiment in one Lucifer or a Shaitan is not present. Then how can the Indic system explain these behaviours of ordinary individuals? Within an Indic framework, one has to go deeper into the dispositions of these personalities and see how the three cosmic attributes of gunas that pervade both the macro and the micro are present in what form in them. Let us next try to understand that in the context of the Gunas. According to the Sankhya system of Indian Philosophy [3], there are two irreducible elements in the evolution of the Universe, Purusha, or Consciousness (the masculine element), and Prakriti or Nature (the feminine element). The evolution of the Universe starts when Purusha and Prakriti come in contact. The entire Universe evolves from Prakriti, which consists of the three attributes or gunas, Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas in different proportions in every element in the Universe. Time is cyclic in nature, and there is constant evolution, sustenance and destruction. These gunas or attributes are not accessible to the senses, but their effects are. The following are the effects of the three gunas: Sattva: All that is good, illuminating, etc. Rajas: Action or the active element Tamas: The lethargy, darkness. These three elements are present in different forms from the highest to the lowest. An example that will show the different proportions in which the three elements are active (or passive) is the case of a dormant or active volcano. When the volcano is dormant, there is predominance of the TAMAS in the volcano; when it is erupting, the predominant element is RAJAS. Similarly, one can apply the presence of these elements in subtle or overt form, with the intellect of a student who is trying to solve a mathematical problem. When the student is struggling with the problem, his psyche is overshadowed by TAMAS, and when he gets the idea how to solve it, his psyche is flooded with light as Sattva guna predominates. According to the above interpretation, one can say that some people are born with the predominance of the Tamasic element (in psychoanalytical terms, with more aggression than others) in their psyche. This disposition is mostly suppressed under normal conditions. However, it shows up under favourable conditions, as Philip Zombardo says. What are the circumstances in the above case of “White collar crimes” that prompted the perpetrators to act on their aggressive disposition? In other words, what is the environment that made it burst forth? The environment where they constantly read and hear about a Command from the Supreme Authority passed onto them via the Ulemas and the religious clerics, local people, and some political leaders; It is a command to do Jihad against the Kafirs (unbelievers). A little about the history of this concept is needed here. While the Holy Quran does talk of Jihad there are controversies about its interpretation. Sura Nisa, 94 says, “O believers! When you struggle in the cause of Allah, be sure of who you fight. And do not say to those who offer you ˹greetings of˺ peace, “You are no believer!”—seeking a fleeting worldly gain.1 Instead, Allah has infinite bounties ˹in store˺. You were initially like them, then Allah blessed you ˹with Islam˺. So be sure! Indeed, Allah is All-Aware of what you do.” (Sura Nisa 94). “Those believers who stay at home—except those with valid excuses1—are not equal to those who strive in the cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives. Allah has elevated in rank those who strive with their wealth and their lives above those who stay behind ˹with valid excuses˺. Allah has promised each a fine reward, but those who strive will receive a far better reward than others—"(Sura Nisa 95). Since scriptures are always subject to interpretations, there are three versions of Jihad: Jihad bi al-nafs: is the greater against one’s sinful inclinations. Jihad bi al-sayf: Jihad of the sword. Jihad al-qawl: Preaching of the tongue. It came from the word “Jahada” to struggle, mostly to struggle against an unlawful ruler. In reality, its more active form was first brought out by the Khwarijis of Persia. According to Dr Azuma, Jihad came out of the Khwariji view in Persia (modern-day Iran) as an inter-Muslim conflict, to struggle against an unlawful ruler. According to the Khawarij view, Jihad is the 6th pillar of Islam. This never became a mainstream view. Later, however, it was taken up by the mainstream Sunni Muslims as a struggle against the unbelievers and as the 6th pillar of Islam. Who are the non-believers? Zoroastrians, Jews, and Christians are dhimmis and can be “protected minorities” or dhimmis after paying a Zakat. Idolators (mushrikins or idolators), magis, pagans, are all real non-believers, who either have to be converted to Islam or killed. Some other concepts have to be clarified here: According to the standard Quranic interpretation, the Kafirs live in Jahiliya or an unenlightened place (Jahiliya) and they have to be brought to enlightenment (Islam). The two important concepts here are Dar Ul Islam: Land of Islam (or governed territory) and Dar Ul Harb: Land of the other or ungoverned. Muslims can live in Dar al-Harb with a conscience of performing the hijra (migration) in keeping with the Prophetic example (uswa Khasana) to prepare for a military jihad against such a system. Dar al-Sulkh: The House of Truce. Dar al-Ahd: The House of Pact or Covenant. (Whose government has a temporary residence for Muslims). Muslims are not supposed to live in Dar Ul Abd permanently, but only temporarily. (Quran 4: 97-100). Now to our point about the banality of evil and “White collar crimes”. Following Sankhya, we can say that some children have more TAMASIC elements in them; they are more aggressive, but may not show it in everyday life. Nonetheless, when they are exposed to an environment, as Philip Zimbordi says, where they are constantly taught the above as their Holy duty and the one aim in life, that TAMASIC element in them gets nurtured and flourishes, till they act as per the Command. In this explanation, there is no dichotomy of “good versus evil”, Shaitaan or Lucifer versus Allah or God; there are just different dispositions that children are born with. Psychoanalytically, this is more down-to-earth and lends itself to therapy and education rather than the concept of evil or Shaitaan, which lies in the realm of belief. Next, our task is to find a solution. When acts of terror happen, of course, the State acts with force and gives exemplary punishment. This, however, is a short-term solution and does not solve the long-term problem of terror or the intent of genocide of groups of people based on their identities. The change has to come organically. Italian Marxist, Antonioni Gramsci says, it is during times of peace that the most revolutionary activity happens. First of all, those who know that they are prone to attack must be aware and be educated and act all the time, especially those times when a terror attack is not happening. This consists of educating people, community organising, building collaborative networks with those critical voices from within the community, and empowering the ordinary people, who are prone to attack how to combat this attack. Second, from a very early age, those children with TAMASIC or aggressive dispositions in an environment that nurtures these dispositions via the use of sacred texts have to be located. There has to be continuous education and community activism by parents, community educators, activists, and members of the local representatives of the State, all during times of peace. Since not all communities exposed to the ideas of Jihad are actually performing acts of terror, community leaders have to locate what makes some communities produce terrorists and not others, what are the precipitating factors, how is mental health a part of this issue? These are important questions that need to be addressed. There is no guarantee that such continuous activism and collaboration will eliminate all terrorist activities; nonetheless, the intra-faith conflicts will be reduced, and everyone will participate in the community building and mark those who are alienated from the entire nation-building. Unless all communities are proactive all the time, there is little chance of avoiding future massacres and mayhem in the coming days. References Arendt, H. (1963). Eichmann In Jerusalem. Viking Press. Azumah, J.A. (2018). The Legacy of Arab Islam in Africa, Oneworld, London. Gramsci, A. (1971) The Prison Notebooks. With volumes translated and edited by Joseph A. Buttigieg. Columbia University Press, NY. The Holy Quran. https://www.clearquran.com/. Zimbardo, P. (2007). The Lucifer Effect. Random House, NY. [1] Here Zimbardo is referring to Hannah Arendt’s article on Adolph Eichmann, who was tried in a Court in Jerusalem for his “Crimes Against Humanity’. Originally, very ordinary citizens who got inspired by the Nazis sent millions of Jews to death. During his trial Eichmann consistently denied that he had committed any crime and that he was “doing his duty” as an officer. Psychiatrist examination showed that he was not “pathological”. Arendt calls this the banality of evil, how ordinary law-abiding human beings can become mass killers under certain circumstances. [2] In Islam, it is Shaitaan. [3] Sankhya is one of the oldest systems in Indian Philosophy. It is an astika system, that is, a school that believes in the authority of the Vedas, although it does not have a Creator or Designer God.

Dec 05, 2025
Mukul Asher

Observations on Government Debt to GSDP Ratio by States in India

Weaponisation of trade and tariff instruments, as well as of finance, natural resources, and global mobility; heightened global uncertainties due to newer technologies such as AI (Artificial Intelligence), digital technologies, and others; and an emerging global reset towards a multipolar world are among the key factors making competent fiscal management at the national, state (provincial), and local levels essential for economic and social resilience. Both societal and economic challenges in India must be addressed. This is also the case with India, where the pursuit of ATMANIRBHARTA requires future-oriented and socially needs-compatible fiscal management. One of the fiscal indicators suggesting potential to pursue such fiscal management in states in India is government debt to GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product). At the Central government level, the debt-to-GDP (Gross Domestic Product) ratio is relevant. Figure 1 provides data on General government gross debt (not including financial assets) to GDP ratios globally. The figures include debt at all levels of government. The data exclude off-budget debt of state entities and contingent liabilities, which are potential government obligations that may become actual financial costs only if a specific, uncertain event occurs. Moreover, as most government accounting systems are cash-based, not accrual-based, future pension, health care and other liabilities of the government may not be fully taken into account. These observations also apply to debt data for the states (provinces) and local governments, as they are also a part of gross general government debt. Figure 1: General Government Gross Debt to GDP Ratios of Nations Globally, 2025 Select relevant observations from Figure 1 as follows: Several high-income countries, such as Japan (235 per cent), the USA (123 per cent), and France (116 per cent) have high debt to GDP ratios, while their growth is relatively modest. This combination makes fiscal management challenging. Some analysts advance a hypothesis that the next global financial crisis may well arise from the government bond markets. India’s general government debt to GDP ratio at 80 per cent of GDP may be regarded as relatively moderate. But India can not afford any complacency in fiscal management, and should aim to continue to exhibit among the highest real GDP growth rates of between 6.5 to 7.5 per cent per year consistently. A broad condition for a sustainable debt level is that the nominal rate of nominal GDP growth (real growth plus inflation) must comfortably exceed the nominal interest rate paid on debt Consistent with the focus of this column on the government debt to GSDP ratios of states in India, Figure 2 provides the necessary data for 2025-26. Figure 2: Gross Government Debt to GDP Ratios of States in India, 2025-26. Source1 The following observations may be made from Figure 2. Among the states, Odisha (13.1 per cent) exhibits the lowest debt to GSDP ratio, while Arunachal Pradesh at 53.0 per cent exhibits the highest ratio. This is a very wide range reflecting state-level diversity in fiscal management. Among the North-East states, except for Assam, which has a manageable government debt to GDP ratio (24.4 per cent), all others have high debt ratios, which, without better management, will continue to create challenges for India’s fiscal management. The focus of Indian policymakers to accelerate the North-East region’s development, with Assam as a leading regional state, is in the right direction. The states which the analysts have been strongly urging to pursue more prudential fiscal management are Punjab (46.8 per cent), Himachal Pradesh (39.0 per cent), West Bengal (37.1 per cent), and Kerala (36.6 per cent). Indeed, a case can be made that even these high figures do not fully reflect the fragility of their fiscal positions. Punjab’s very high debt ratio compares very unfavorably with its neighbouring state, Haryana, ratio of 25.5 per cent, nearly half of Punjab’s. Continuing to implement the old pension system for state government employees, under which employees make no contributions, but continue to receive inflation-adjusted Defined Benefit pensions, is an important contributor to the fragility of the fiscal system of these states. Between 2016-17 and 2024-25, Cumulative Average growth Rate (CAGR) was higher for interest payments on debt than the rate of growth of revenue receipts in Kerala (12 per cent versus 6 per cent); Himachal Pradesh (11 per cent versus 9 per cent); and Punjab (10 per cent versus 9 per cent)2. According to the data from India’s Ministry of Corporate Affairs, between 2011-12 and September 2025, 448 listed and 6447 unlisted companies, for a total of 6895 companies, have left the state of West Bengal. During that period, the number of new companies formed, including start-ups, has been robust in India. There is a widespread consensus that these states need to urgently change their governance perspective and reallocate budgetary resources that promote growth and provide amenities to all sections of the population in a rational manner. Unless such a transformation occurs, these states will continue to act as a constraint on achieving India’s goal of VIKSIT BHARAT by 2047. Two of the economically significant states, Maharashtra and Gujarat, with debt to GSDP ratios of 18.2 and 15.3 per cent, respectively, have sustainable moderate debt levels, contributing towards national prudent fiscal management. These two states, along with Uttar Pradesh, are investing heavily in productive physical and social infrastructure for future growth. According to the official data, the share of Maharashtra state in foreign equity flows between April 2000 and September 2025 to India was 31 per cent, and of Gujarat 15 per cent. If the share of Karnataka state at 21 per cent is added, the three states alone have received little more than two-thirds of all equity flows into India. This does suggest the need for more states to equip themselves to receive foreign equity flows. Karnataka (23 per cent of GDP), Telangana (23.8 per cent). And Tamil Nadu also exhibits relatively moderate debt levels. While Karnataka and, to a lesser extent, Tamil Nadu and Telangana have been successful in receiving foreign equity flows, compared to Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh, these two states have been less proactive in investing in physical and social infrastructure to sustain high foreign equity flows. The debt-to-GDP ratio of Andhra Pradesh is high at 33.3 per cent. While its economic policies are broadly pro-growth and pro-meeting social needs, given its ambitious plans to develop a modern new capital in Amravati, it needs to be especially vigilant and competent in its fiscal management. If it only achieves a limited success in this area, it will act as a constraint on India’s overall fiscal management objectives. In conclusion, debt-to-GDP ratios and their dynamics exhibit a wide variety of patterns among the states, as may be expected. It is hoped that the 16th Finance Commission report, which will be publicly released shortly, will contain suggestions to encourage states to pursue better fiscal management generally, and help positively in generating positive dynamics for debt management, especially among the states which are most in need to pursue that course of action. References https://www.forbesindia.com/article/explainers/debt-to-gdp- ratio-Indian-states/88469/1 (Accessed on 3 December 2025) Singh, Shruti (2025). The State of State finances, PRS. file:///D:/SOSF_2025%20PRS.pdf (Accessed on 3 December 2025)

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