Hindus’ association of religious identity go hand-in-hand with politics, which was quite reflected in the 2019 Parliament Elections that saw Bharatiya Janata Party (closely associated with Hindu religion) coming to power. The PEW Research Centre that held a survey on religious identity came up with the findings.
The Survey of 29,999 Indian adults between late 2019 and early 2020 – before the covid 190 pandemic, said that 60 per cent of Hindu voters, who thought it important to be Hindu and to speak Hindi to be truly Indian, cast their vote for the BJP. The survey notes that 33 per cent among Hindu voters felt less strongly about both these aspects of national identity. The views also go onto regional support for the BJP, which tends to be much higher in the Northern and Central parts of the country than in the South, the Pew Centre said.
NATIONAL IDENTITY
The PEW report points out that national identity, religion and language are closely connected for several Hindus. About 64 per cent of the participants say it is very important to be Hindu to be truly Indian. Among them, 80 per cent also say it is very important to speak Hindi to be truly Indian.
The survey notes that 76 per cent Hindus want to stop Hindu women from marrying into another religion.
Moreover, Hindus in Northern (69 per cent) and Central (83 per cent) parts of the country link Hindu to national identity than those in the South (42 per cent).
The report also mentions that Hindus view cows as sacred. Nearly three-quarters of Hindus (72 per cent) say a person cannot be Hindu if they eat beef.
With respect to participation of the country into India and Pakisthan, 43 per cent of Hindus say it was beneficial fo Hindu-Muslim relations. However, 37 per cent was not of the view.
