Fifty-five percent of Indians are happy with the way things are going in the country even as public satisfaction level has gone down by 15 points from 70 percent in 2017, according to a Pew survey.
According to the survey conducted much before the Pulwama terrorist attack, about 76 percent of Indians believe that Pakistan is a threat to the country and coincidentally the same percentage are worried about lack of jobs.
Conducted almost a year ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, among 2,521 respondents from 23 May to 23 July 2018, the Washington-based Pew Research Centre study said majority of the Indians voiced concern about terrorism and the threat posed to their country by Pakistan.
On Dealing With Kashmir Situation
Fifty-five percent Indians see the situation in Kashmir as a “very big problem”, and 53 percent of those surveyed said that the situation in the conflict-ridden state has become worse over the last five years. While 18 percent think that things have become better in Kashmir, just 6 percent believe conditions are the same.
A majority of those surveyed believe that Indian government should use more military force than they are currently using, while an equal, though small, shares think the military should use either less or about the same amount of force (both 7 percent.)
‘Financial Situation Better’
Roughly two-thirds (65 percent) said the financial situation of average people in India is better today than it was 20 years ago. Only 15 percent said things are worse.
The survey said lack of employment opportunities is seen by the public as India's biggest challenge.
Seventy-six per cent said employment is a very big problem and little has changed over the past year. While just one in five persons (21 percent) said job opportunities have become better, 67 percent believed it has gotten worse.
In 2018, despite an estimated 3.5 percent formal unemployment rate, 18.6 million Indians were jobless and another 393.7 million work in poor-quality jobs vulnerable to displacement, according to estimates by the International Labour Office.
The study said 73 percent believe inflation is a very big problem in India. As many as 65 per cent said prices have gotten worse.
‘Leaders from Both BJP, Cong Corrupt’
Noting that Indians voiced strong frustration about elections and elected officials, the study said nearly two-thirds (64 per cent) of the Indians said most politicians are corrupt (including 43 percent who very intensely hold this view).
Notably, nearly seven in 10 (69 percent) of both BJP and Congress supporters share the view that elected leaders are corrupt, it said.
Another 58 percent opined that no matter who wins an election, things do not change very much. This includes a majority of both BJP and Congress supporters, it said.
According to the survey, 71 percent believe trade is good for India. While 59 percent of youths aged between 18 and 29 believe that trade generates new employment, 50 percent of older Indians (aged 50 and above) shares a similar view.
(With inputs from PTI)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)