New Delhi:
Indian-Americans hold “relatively more conservative” views on Indian policies – such as these affecting protection of religious minorities, immigration and affirmative active – than American ones, according to a report based on a survey of the neighborhood in September final year.
The report – a collaboration amongst the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Johns Hopkins-SAIS, and the University of Pennsylvania – draws on information from an on-line survey of 1,200 adult Indian Americans. The survey has an all round margin of error of +/- 2.8 per cent.
As an instance, 90 per cent of respondents supported treating members of all faiths equally. Of these, 60 per cent expressed opposition to the ‘Muslim travel ban’ imposed by Donald Trump but only 49 per cent opposed the Indian government’s controversial citizenship law (CAA).
Similarly, 69 per cent supported more the concept of liberal immigration policies. However, only 45 per cent indicated they had been opposed to the equally controversial all-India NRC physical exercise proposed by the Indian government. 55 per cent supported significantly less stringent policies in the United States.
To inquiries on ethnic majoritarianism, 53 per cent see Hindu majoritarianism as a threat to minorities in India. However, 73 per cent view white supremacy as a comparable threat in the US.
“Indian Americans… believe white supremacy is a greater threat to minorities in the US, a country where they are a minority, than Hindu majoritarianism is to minorities in India, a country where Hindus (the most common faith of Indian Americans) are in the majority,” the report says.
Analysing that response – by religious faith is “instructive” the report adds, pointing out that when 70 per cent of Hindus and (79 per cent of non-Hindus) see white supremacy as a threat, only 40 per cent see Hindu majoritarianism as a comparable threat, compared to 67 per cent of non-Hindus.
The survey also asked respondents for the top rated 3 challenges India faces today.
Government corruption topped that list with 18 per cent of responses, with the situation of the economy narrowly behind at 15 per cent. Religious majoritarianism was third with 10 per cent.
Indian-Americans are also divided about US action to strengthen India’s military as a verify against China – which only seven per cent of respondents see as the top rated challenge facing the Narendra Modi government today. Only 53 per cent of foreign-born respondents and 38 per cent of US-born respondents supported that move, with the rest either in disagreement or expressing no opinion.
The division more than help for the US strengthening India’s military also plays out politically – 69 per cent of Indian-Americans who determine as Republican help this, as compared to only 41 per cent of Democrats they are also more probably to say they do not want the US to provoke China.
In terms of all round help, 40 per cent think the existing partnership is “just right”, when 12 per cent think the US is “too supportive”. 24 per cent think the US is “not supportive enough”.
It also shows that almost 50 per cent of all Indian-Americans approve (35 per cent “strongly approve”) of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efficiency, with help unsurprisingly greatest amongst these who come from states exactly where the ruling BJP is dominant – such as Gujarat – and determine themselves as Hindu and Republican.
Consequently, the information shows a heavy tilt towards the BJP as the preferred selection, with 32 per cent of respondents selecting the Prime Minister’s party and only 12 opting for the Congress.
A substantial portion of the Prime Minister’s approval rating comes from these amongst 30 and 49 years old (53 per cent) and these more than 50 (55 per cent), with 43 per cent of these amongst 18 and 29 disapproving of him as against only 35 per cent who authorized.
The report flags a 3-fold distinction amongst net approval ratings in the US and in India – a 19 per cent rating in favour of the Prime Minister in the US compared to 55 per cent in India.
Late Monday evening Prime Minister Modi tweeted that he had spoken to new US President Joe Biden to talk about regional troubles and “our shared priorities” and express commitment to a “rule-based international order”.