NEW YORK: While the Bharatiya Janata Party is the most popular Indian political party among Indian Americans, a majority is critical of government policies despite showing overall strong support for the country, according to a study. Thirty-two per cent of Indian Americans surveyed said they identified closely with the BJP and only 12 per cent with the Congress Party, the study reported.
But 40 per cent of those in the survey said they did not feel close to any Indian political party. Overall, however, those closely identifying with a party other than the BJP is 28 per cent, if the supporters of the Congress and other smaller parties are added up, according to the 2020 Indian American Attitudes Survey published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in association with Johns Hopkins University and University of Pennsylvania.
The survey of 1,200 Indian Americans was conducted in September last year by YouGov and the analysis by a group of experts was published June 9. Seventy-five per cent of Indian Americans said that they were "pro-India,” but their attitudes to the Indian government varied sharply with 58 per cent critical of the government to some degree. Only 17 per cent identified themselves as also being "pro-government,” while 35 per cent were critical of some of the government's policies, and 23 per cent critical of most of the government policies.
According to the survey, 49 per cent of Indian Americans rated Prime Minister Narendra Modi's performance favorably, with 35 per cent giving strong approval. But 31 per cent disapproved of his record, with 22 per cent expressing strong disapproval. Evaluating how warmly the survey participants rated Indian organizations and leaders, the study came up with a "mean thermometer rating" based on a scale of favorable attitudes (not percentages) reported.
Modi got 58, the BJP 57, the Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh 46, and the Congress Party 44; Rahul Gandhi lagged at 38. Among Republican Indian Americans, Modi received a higher "thermometer rating" of 71, versus 55 among Democrats, while Gandhi got more warmth from Democrats with a 42 rating but 31 among Republicans, the study said. President Joe Biden and his Democratic Party got a rating of 64, while Vice President Kamala Harris, who is of Indian American descent, got 63.
But the study found a big contrast in the attitude to the US in the survey conducted before the US elections, and the current Covid-19 surge: 67 per cent reported that the US is on the wrong track, while just 33 per cent believed it is on the right track. Corruption was ranked by the Indian Americans surveyed as the top problem for India with 18 per cent listing it, and the economy came next with 15 per cent naming it. Ten per cent ranked "religious majoritarianism" as the country's most important challenge, according to the study. Fifty-three per cent of the Indian Americans said that "Hindu majoritarianism" is a threat to minorities in India, but 73 per cent said that "white supremacy" is a threat to minorities in the US.
