INDIA
State of the Nation

For everything that is true of India, the officials of the Raj were told, the opposite is equally true. The belief that India is an enigma, a paradox and the ultimate repository of nebulousness has become a cliché. Yet, 50 years of existence as an independent nation has produced convictions, attitudes and fears which are real, tangible and, more important, identifiable. An exhaustive India Today-ORG-Marg Independence poll (covering a sample of 12,651 respondents) sought to track and interpret some of these.

The outcome was both disturbing and reassuring. Disturbing because there is mounting scepticism over the ability of India to endure as a single entity. Despite its categorical faith in democracy, India is engulfed by self-doubt over its political system. Politicians are perceived as deceitful and ineffective, and there is lack of confidence in the police and administration. Even the system of caste-based reservations is seen as iniquitous and unworthy. The despair over the present has even led to a growing nostalgia for the efficacy of the British Raj.

However, it is not gloom all the way. There is a definite commitment to keeping India together and in the virtues of being Indian. Given a chance, Indians would rather be reborn as Indians. But there are contradictions here too. Indians have a pride in their nationality and are more willing to talk to other Indians in a common language, but integration has not broken down localism. When it comes to marriage -- that ultimate litmus test -- Indians would rather their sons or daughters married within the familiar confines of caste, region and religion. The ripples on the surface have left the depths unmoved.

B O R N || I N D I A N

Pic: Sanjeev Saith NATIONALITY is an accident of birth. To Indians, however, being an Indian is an article of faith. Fifty years and countless disappointments later, the faith of the citizens in the land of their birth remains undiminished. Given a choice, they would rather be reborn Indians. It's a faith that seems completely unrelated to their state of material being. Life has not been kind to them and only a minority -- particularly in the west -- believes that the quality of life has improved in the past five years. People in the east believe that life has got worse. More important, even British rule, against which Indians fought doggedly, does not seem unappetising. For the above-60s -- those who actually lived under the Raj -- the past was certainly more peaceful and less turbulent than the present.

If you were born again, would you like to be reborn as an Indian? YES 88 NO 5   DK/CS 7   Yes: Hindu 89 / Muslim 79 DK/CS: Don't Know / Can't Say Has the quality of your life changed in the past five years? Worse 23 Same 47 Better 29 Rest: Don't Know / Can't Say Is the present law and order situation better than under the British? Worse 36 Same 11 Better 36 Rest: Don't Know / Can't Say Worse: Young (18-24 years) 33 Old (Over 60 years) 49 All figures in percentage The graphs are only representative, not to scale

Born Indian National leader Politics Morality Language Economy Attitudes India and Pakistan Reservations

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