ELECTION ANALYSIS

Perceptions of the world

CSDS Team

SINCE this round of Lok Sabha elections saw foreign policy become something of an issue, the CSDS survey tried to find out the attitudes of ordinary people about some countries that matter to India. Each respondent was asked whether he or she was familiar with the names of those countries. The respondents who answered 'yes' were then asked to state whether in their opinion that particular country was India's friend, enemy, or neither. Unsurprisingly, in the wake of the Kargil War, Pakistan emerged as the country the largest number of respondents had heard about. On this count, every other country ranged between 60 and 70 per cent.

Unsurprisingly again, Pakistan was identified as an enemy by the majority of the respondents. Generally Indians do not seem to perceive a serious threat from any country other than Pakistan. China was identified as an enemy by 13 per cent of the respondents, but then some 22 per cent thought of it as a friend. The rating of the United States is not particularly better than that of China.

Russia still emerges as the country considered most friendly to India. The memory of Indo-Soviet friendship perhaps still works for Boris Yeltsin's Russia.