According to the CPR-C Voter survey, Indians believe their country has the highest influence in South Asia, while Pakistanis and Bangladeshis feel China has the most influence in the region, followed by the US.
New Delhi: More than 60% of Indians and more than half of all Pakistanis surveyed believe the two countries cannot have friendly relations in this decade, according to a new survey by the Centre for Policy Research (CPR)-C Voter. The survey, which looks at the attitudes of Indians, Pakistanis, and Bangladeshis on several political, economic, and foreign policy issues, took the opinion of 12,000 people from these three nations.
It further said that 48 per cent of Indians, but only 31 per cent of Pakistanis and 32 per cent of Bangladeshis would favor a “reversal” in the conditions created by the 1947 Partition. However, 62 per cent of Indians felt it was unlikely and 28 per cent said that it was likely that India and Pakistan could become friendly in the near future, while 52 per cent of respondents in Pakistan said it was unlikely, and 38 per cent said it was likely.
Significantly, respondents in Bangladesh were more positive about the possibility of India-Pakistan ties, with more respondents there (45 per cent) saying good relations were likely, and 40 per cent saying they were unlikely. The survey results came even as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar conceded at a public event last week that the chances of dialogue with Pakistan were now bleak. “I think the era of uninterrupted dialogue with Pakistan is over. Actions have consequences,” he said.
When asked about the role of global powers in the regions, the CPR-C Voter survey found that Indians believe their country had the highest influence in South Asia, while Pakistanis and Bangladeshis felt China had the most influence in the region, followed by the United States. Indians were the least concerned about Chinese interference (less than half) while more than two-thirds of Pakistanis and Bangladeshis showed ‘high concern’ over Chinese interference.
As for Russia, more Indians said they trust Moscow more than the United States, while only 18 per cent said they trust China. Pakistani respondents also said they trusted Russia more than the US, although more than 84 per cent trusted China, by far the most. (With inputs from The Hindu)
