Page 57 - IJPS-10-4

International Journal of
Population Studies Opinions on Rohingya refugees in India

Table 1. (Continued)
Category Sub‑category Percentage
National People’s Party (National 1
party [center-left])
Nationalist Congress Party 1
(National party [center])
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra 0
Kazhagam (national party
[center-left])
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (state 1
party [centre-left])
Telugu Desam Party (state party 2
[center])
Telangana Rashtriya Samiti (state 1 Figure 1. Attitudes of Indians toward other groups of people (a mix of
party [center-right]) various ethnicities, nationalities, and religious groups), on a scale of 0 –
100, where 0 represents “cold, negative feelings,” 50 represents “neutral,”
Rashtriya Janata Dal (state party 0 and 100 represents “warm, positive feelings.” The mean values are
[center-left]) presented, ordered from most positive to most negative
Shiromani Akali Dal (state party 0
[center-right]) if parliamentary elections were held this weekend, it was
Samajwadi Party (state party 1 observed that BJP voters held the coldest feelings toward
[center-left to left]) the Rohingya, with a mean value of 43 on a scale from 0
Shiv Sena (state party [right-wing 1 to 100 (where 0 represents “very cold” feelings and 100
to far-right]) represents “very warm” feelings). Details are provided in
Other political party 3 Table A1. Conversely, the other two parties that received
I don’t know 9 more than 5% preference among survey respondents
I would not vote 4 (Table A1), namely, the Indian National Congress (INC)
and All India Trinamool Congress, displayed relatively
warm feelings toward the Rohingya, with mean values of
toward the Chinese, followed by the Rohingya (at the same 60 and 63, respectively.
level as the Uyghurs). Feelings toward the Rohingya in the
survey are even colder than toward the Muslims in general. We also conducted a comparison of Indian sentiments
With a mean value of 49 (on a scale from 0 to 100, where toward the Rohingya with those in other Asian countries
0 means “very cold,” 50 means “neutral,” and 100 means (Figure A3) that experience Rohingya immigration.
“very warm feelings”), Indians seem rather cold toward the The results reveal a clear trend: in countries with the
Rohingya (Figure 1). highest influx of Rohingya refugees, namely, Bangladesh,
Malaysia, and Thailand, the mean values are the lowest,
While the overall attitude of Indian respondents ranging from 43 to 55, with Malaysia having the lowest
toward the Rohingya is predominantly cold, further score. Before the 1990s, Bangladesh and Malaysia embraced
analysis reveals intriguing patterns when considering compassionate strategies to tackle the Rohingya crisis,
other characteristics. Age and gender yield more negative including the establishment of refugee camps, the provision
responses, indicating that men and older individuals of humanitarian aid, and the recognition of Rohingya
tend to hold more negative perceptions. Men exhibited refugees (Yesmin, 2016). Humanitarian motives guided
more negative views than women. Regional differences their actions, stemming from empathy and the importance
did not show significant variation in attitudes. However, of international collaboration (Yesmin, 2016). In contrast,
religion emerges as a strong predictor. Hindu respondents, Thailand initially overlooked Rohingya protection while
comprising 82% of the population, tend to harbor cold assisting other displaced communities (Chaijaroenwatana
feelings toward the Rohingya. On the other hand, Muslim & Haque, 2020). Subsequent to the 1990s, policies in
and Christian respondents exhibit warmer sentiments. these nations converged toward deportation and forceful
Moreover, the strength of religious devotion, as measured repatriation, pivoting toward safeguarding national interests
by their religious practices, correlates with the intensity of and security due to concerns such as political tensions,
these feelings. economic strain, biased media portrayal, cultural differences,
Furthermore, when examining party preferences based security fears, historical context, or government stance
on the question of which party respondents would vote for (Yesmin, 2016). This transition marked a departure from

Volume 10 Issue 4 (2024) 51 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.2174