A recent study reveals that thousands and thousands of people living in rural India are extremely happy and satisfied with the way Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government have been tackling the coronavirus pandemic and the steps that it has taken to revive the economy despite the hardships that the nation as whole is facing. The overwhelming majority of people living in rural India are extremely satisfied with the state dispensations in the last couple of months according to the findings of a new survey. We know that the migrant crisis and the internal exodus of lakhs of migrants from the towns and cities to the villages was nothing but one of the most clearest examples of the crumbling of the Indian economy due to the lockdown, but the survey tells us that a section of the population that suffered the most due to the economic fallout of the lockdown, is indeed quite happy with the government’s efforts.
The survey shows that 74% of people in rural India are satisfied with the way the Indian government spearheaded by PM Narendra Modi responded to the pandemic. The survey was conducted by a media platform called Gaon Connection. More than 78% people in rural India also said that they were extremely pleased with their respective state governments. The survey included interviews with over 25,371 respondents who had been interviewed between May 30-July 16,2020. Most of the respondents who were spoken to, are the sole breadwinners of their families or were its most significant earners, thus there was an overwhelming representation of males in this data. The survey had been designed and the collected information was analysed by CSDS, Delhi. The survey is part of ‘The Rural Report’.
The respondents were interviewed across 23 states and over 179 districts of India. The data after analysis reveals that most of the people of rural India are extremely happy with the way that the present government has tackled the pandemic situation and the steps that it has taken to mitigate the crisis.
It also becomes very clear that the occurrence of the lockdown has in no manner impacted the way that people in rural India conceive of the Modi government or its governance across Indian states. People are quite satisfied and convinced with the steps taken by the government and see no reason to find faults with it.
The Gaon Connection notes, “ For instance, on being asked where the Modi government’s attitude towards migrant workers during the lockdown has been good or bad, 73% or over seven out of ten respondents interviewed in rural areas of the county said it has been good(29% said very good and 44% rated it as good).”
Just 23% of the respondents had issues with the methods of governance and expressed dissatisfaction with the conduction of the lockdown.
The Rural Report is an important document because it has collated data and come up with insights on the impact of coronavirus pandemic and the associated lockdown on people’s income patterns, livelihoods, debts, future plans and most importantly their perceptions about the ruling government.
