New Delhi
20 May 2013
More Indians saw China as a security threat but opinion was divided on whether India should join other countries to limit China’s influence or cooperate with China to play a leading role in the world, according to an opinion poll conducted by the Lowy Institute for International Policy and the Australia India Institute which was released at a function hosted by the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi on Monday. The survey was conducted late last year, before the incursion by Chinese troops into Indian territory in Jammu and Kashmir threatened a delicate peace at the Sino-Indian border.
The ORF said in a statement that the poll revealed multiple reasons for the mistrust between India and China, including China’s possession of nuclear weapons, competition for resources in third countries, China’s efforts to strengthen relations with other countries in the Indian Ocean region and the India-China border dispute. Although China has become India’s largest trading partner, only 31 per cent of Indians agreed that China’s rise has been good for India. On India’s response to China’s rise, 65 per cent agreed that India should join other countries to limit China’s influence. At the same time, 64 per cent agreed that India should cooperate with China to play a leading role in the world.
In contrast, only 31 per cent saw the US as a security threat; also, 83 per cent wanted the India-US relations to be strong.
An overwhelming majority of 94 per cent Indians saw Pakistan as a threat, citing terrorism as a major reason. The other reasons were that the Pakistani army sees India as an enemy; Pakistan’s nuclear weapons; and Pakistan’s sovereignty claims over Jammu and Kashmir.
Pakistan ranked lowest in terms of warmth of feeling in the list of 22 countries surveyed. At 62 degrees (on a scale of one to 100), Indians felt most warmly towards the US. China ranked in the middle along with Brazil at 44 degrees; the US, Singapore, Japan, Australia, France, Nepal, Russia, the UK, Sri Lanka and South Africa ranked higher.
Significantly, the findings suggested that if Prime Minister Manmohan Singh were to hold a summit with Nawaz Sharif, prime minister-designate of Pakistan, today, he would have popular support among a majority of Indians. However, it must be reiterated that the survey was conducted last year, before the incidents of torture and murder of Indian prisoners Sarabjit Singh and Chamel Singh and the beheading of an Indian soldier by Pakistan vitiated the atmosphere.
Corruption, democracy, domestic policy and other issues also figured in the poll, which was conducted last year between August 30 and October 15.
Speaking on the occasion of the release of the survey’s report, Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said he was sceptical of opinion polls but “India Poll 2013” was worth reading as it red flags various indicators and coming as it did two days ahead of completion of nine years of the UPA government. Mr Tewari criticised the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) for exaggerating the extent of corruption. “When institutions start indulging in fiction writing, that is the greatest disservice that can possibly be done to the nation,” he said. “I think the CAG in the past six years, with due respect to him, has done the greatest disservice to the nation by tossing mystical numbers into the open space.”
ORF Director Sunjoy Joshi moderation a discussion based on the findings of the survey. Participating in it, Dr C. Raja Mohan or ORF said many of the assumptions in the drafting of foreign policy would have to change following the results of the poll. He said there should be a redoubled peace initiative with Pakistan. Mr Ashok Malik, a political commentator, in turn said that the fact that 42 per cent Indians have said the central and state governments had been unfair to the Kashmiris showed that a confident Indian society was emerging.
// HIGHLIGHTS //
Findings of the “India Poll 2013: Facing the future” opinion poll:
20 May 2013
More Indians saw China as a security threat but opinion was divided on whether India should join other countries to limit China’s influence or cooperate with China to play a leading role in the world, according to an opinion poll conducted by the Lowy Institute for International Policy and the Australia India Institute which was released at a function hosted by the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi on Monday. The survey was conducted late last year, before the incursion by Chinese troops into Indian territory in Jammu and Kashmir threatened a delicate peace at the Sino-Indian border.
The ORF said in a statement that the poll revealed multiple reasons for the mistrust between India and China, including China’s possession of nuclear weapons, competition for resources in third countries, China’s efforts to strengthen relations with other countries in the Indian Ocean region and the India-China border dispute. Although China has become India’s largest trading partner, only 31 per cent of Indians agreed that China’s rise has been good for India. On India’s response to China’s rise, 65 per cent agreed that India should join other countries to limit China’s influence. At the same time, 64 per cent agreed that India should cooperate with China to play a leading role in the world.
In contrast, only 31 per cent saw the US as a security threat; also, 83 per cent wanted the India-US relations to be strong.
An overwhelming majority of 94 per cent Indians saw Pakistan as a threat, citing terrorism as a major reason. The other reasons were that the Pakistani army sees India as an enemy; Pakistan’s nuclear weapons; and Pakistan’s sovereignty claims over Jammu and Kashmir.
Pakistan ranked lowest in terms of warmth of feeling in the list of 22 countries surveyed. At 62 degrees (on a scale of one to 100), Indians felt most warmly towards the US. China ranked in the middle along with Brazil at 44 degrees; the US, Singapore, Japan, Australia, France, Nepal, Russia, the UK, Sri Lanka and South Africa ranked higher.
Significantly, the findings suggested that if Prime Minister Manmohan Singh were to hold a summit with Nawaz Sharif, prime minister-designate of Pakistan, today, he would have popular support among a majority of Indians. However, it must be reiterated that the survey was conducted last year, before the incidents of torture and murder of Indian prisoners Sarabjit Singh and Chamel Singh and the beheading of an Indian soldier by Pakistan vitiated the atmosphere.
Corruption, democracy, domestic policy and other issues also figured in the poll, which was conducted last year between August 30 and October 15.
Speaking on the occasion of the release of the survey’s report, Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said he was sceptical of opinion polls but “India Poll 2013” was worth reading as it red flags various indicators and coming as it did two days ahead of completion of nine years of the UPA government. Mr Tewari criticised the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) for exaggerating the extent of corruption. “When institutions start indulging in fiction writing, that is the greatest disservice that can possibly be done to the nation,” he said. “I think the CAG in the past six years, with due respect to him, has done the greatest disservice to the nation by tossing mystical numbers into the open space.”
ORF Director Sunjoy Joshi moderation a discussion based on the findings of the survey. Participating in it, Dr C. Raja Mohan or ORF said many of the assumptions in the drafting of foreign policy would have to change following the results of the poll. He said there should be a redoubled peace initiative with Pakistan. Mr Ashok Malik, a political commentator, in turn said that the fact that 42 per cent Indians have said the central and state governments had been unfair to the Kashmiris showed that a confident Indian society was emerging.
// HIGHLIGHTS //
Findings of the “India Poll 2013: Facing the future” opinion poll:
* 83 per cent Indians consider China as a security threat
* 63 per cent Indians would like relations with China to
strengthen
* 31 per cent Indians agree that China’s rise has been good
for India
* 65 per cent Indians want India to join other countries to
limit China’s influence
* 64 per cent Indians want India to cooperate with China to
play a leading role in the world
* 83 per cent want strong India-US relations
* 31 per cent see the US as a security threat
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