A BBC survey indicates that most Indians are proud of being Indian but are also against the caste system, seen as an obstacle to social harmony. Thus results belie claims by Hindu extremists that terrorism and ‘forced conversions’ are the main cause of tensions in society and reason to persecute Muslims and Christians.

Mumbai (AsiaNews) – Nearly two-thirds of all Indians are fiercely proud of ‘Being Indian’ but more than half believe the caste system is a ‘barrier to social harmony’ and is holding the country back, this according to a BBC poll that was conducted by GlobeScan for the BBC World Service between December 5 and 15.

The survey of 1,500 Indians, who answered a series of questions on social and political issues, for the British broadcaster suggests that internal violence and tensions are largely the by-product of the country’s rigid social divisions. This contradicts claims by Hindu nationalists that Islamic terrorism and conversions to Christianity are obstacle to social harmony.

The results surprised many. Contrary to widely-held beliefs about the weak effect of caste on India’s future, 55 per cent of all respondents thought that the “caste system is a barrier to social harmony.”

The poll results arrive amidst a rising concern in the international community about abuses against India’s Dalits, as evidenced by of a resolution adopted by the EU Parliament describing the living conditions and legal protections afforded Dalits as unacceptable.

The BBC poll also revealed that among India’s major religious groups, Christians were most proud of their national heritage. Asked if they agreed with the statement “I am proud to be an Indian,” 73 per cent of Christians responded followed by 71 percent of Hindu respondents and 60 per cent of Muslim respondents.

Speaking to AsiaNews, Madhu Chandra, national secretary of the All India Confederation of  Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Organisations, said that the “BBC poll says that Indian caste system is the barrier to social harmony in the country while Sangh Parivar thinks terrorism and conversion” are. “Terrorism is the first thing that comes to the mind of Hindu fundamentalists when they think about Muslims and conversion for Christians.”

Hindu fundamentalists say they are fighting to protect India’s Hindu identity and accuse Christians of forced conversions.

“Since the Church is involved first hand in fighting social injustice and promoting the emancipation of Dalits, Hindutva (Hindu nationalism) militants see Christianity as a barrier to the Aryanisation of Indian society, which is their objective. They often use the term ‘Aryanisation’ to describe their goal which is to make India culturally homogenous based on Sanskrit culture.”

The BBC poll results were published on Monday. They also indicate that 55 per cent of Indians believe that the justice system “treats poor people as fairly as rich people. Another 53 per cent believe that “being a woman is no barrier to success”, and just under half of all Indians (48 per cent) would rather “work for a private company than for the government.” (NC)

• india
• bbc
• survey
• dalits
• caste
• system