A snap poll done on the hot button issue of CAA-NRC by IANS-CVoter has found that several faultlines exist on a regional, state and religious basis on those supporting the act and those against it.
Yashwant Deshmukh, Founder, CVoter told IANS that while the majority of people across India, with a vast majority of Hindus, support the act, it is being opposed by the Muslim community.
After the promulgation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), there have been pan-India protests leaving several dead, and hundreds injured as a wave of agitations has hit normal life.
The snap poll has a sample size of over 3,000 all over India plus a booster sample of 500 each in Assam, the northeast and Muslims. The fieldwork dates for the survey are December 17 to 19.
Among regions, support for the CAA is more in north and west while lesser in the south and east while the northeast is divided. Assam is completely different from the country with 68 per cent people opposing it.
Deshmukh said that while there is understanding among the communities that Bangladeshi migrants constitute a threat and are coming here for economic opportunities, the political narrative is driving up the fear quotient among the Muslims.
Mostly, the respondents are urging the government to explain the features of the CAA and the NRC properly as it is misunderstood by the Muslims to be a law that is anti-Muslim.
There are faultlines on regional lines, state lines and religious groups with majority of Hindus supporting the Act while Muslims are against it.
In the overall numbers, 62.7 per cent of respondents are supporting the CAA on an all India basis. As many as 66.7 per cent of the Hindus are supporting it while on the other hand, 63.5 per cent of the Muslims are opposing it. In Assam, 68.1 per cent are opposing the act in contrast to the rest of the country.
Among the regions, the highest support for CAA is in the north with 67.7 per cent support, followed by west with 64.2 per cent, south with 58.5 per cent and lastly, the east with 57.3 per cent support.
On illegal migrants becoming a threat to the society and country, the IANS-C Voter snap poll found that 64.4 per cent people said yes with 67.5 per cent of the Muslims — above the national average — responding in the affirmative.
As many as 58.6 per cent of the respondents supported the stand taken by the government but the question on whether the Constitution has been violated drew an almost even response with 47.4 per cent saying that there has been no violation while 47.1 per cent saying that the Constitution has been violated.
Meanwhile, 64 per cent of the respondents, on an all India basis, said that this will lead to increase in India’s population while 54 per cent say that the government has not lived up to the responsibility of giving complete and accurate information to the public.
A majority of respondents — at 51.6 per cent — said that those who are not able to provide proof of their residence in India under thee NRC should get a jail sentence while as many as 78.4 per cent said they should be deported.
Only 31.9 per cent said that the amended citizenship act and the NRC are against Indian Muslims while 55.9 per cent said no to the question.
More than 61 per cent of the respondents said that the Bangladeshi minority immigrants want to live in India because of the better economic opportunities.
