Click to play videoNew Delhi: Over the past four weeks, CNN-IBN has been celebrating ‘Golden South’ – 50 years of the formation of India’s southern states. An exclusive opinion poll conducted by CNN-IBN in collaboration with Deccan Herald and Radio City is perhaps the first poll of its kind in the history of Indian media that measured the public mood in India’s southern states withstanding the changing perceptions across the country.
The poll covered seven states, 15 cities interviewing over 2,500 people in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Delhi.
A panel of experts lead by CNN-IBN Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai analysed the varied results of the poll on a special weekly show, called The Verdict. The panel included Arundhati Nag, an actor and well-known theatre personality from Karnataka; Ramachandra Guha, the country’s foremost historian; Nandan Nilekani, CEO of Infosys; Prof Sandeep Shastri, national convenor of the Lok Niti Network (organisation that put together the Golden South poll); actor Suhasini Maniratnam and actor- columnist-political-commentator Cho Ramaswamy.
Does the future of India in the next 50 years lies South of the Vindhyas?
Starting with the very first question of the survey, the CNN-IBN survey asked people if they have heard of the term South India. The survey found that 83 per cent of the South Indians living within South India and 98 per cent of those living in the rest of the country were aware of the term ‘South India’.
When asked, “are you a South Indian?” 65 per cent of those surveyed in South India said they "believe" they were South Indians while 91 per cent of those living outside South India openly confirmed that they were "South Indians".
Infosys CEO Nandan Nilekani thinks otherwise. “I would call myself an Indian first and a South Indian after that,” he says.
This raises an imminent question. Do South Indians really have that sense of pride in stating their belongingness to the South or is it that today’s Indians have overcome the imminent divide between North and South?
"I think I am a women first, that’s the first thing I remember about my identity. After that I am truly a South Indian because I cannot speak Hindi. I would still accept my guilt and say that I am a South Indian and also an Indian at the same time." That's how Suhasini Maniratnam puts it.
Do you see yourself as a South Indian or an Indian first?
“Do you see yourself as a South Indian first or an Indian?”That was the next big question posed in the survey. While 26 per cent of the South Indians (living in South India) said their identity as a South Indian comes first, 53 per cent of them seemed to believe on the contrary. They said being an "Indian" is the first thing about their identity and being a South Indian comes later.
The state-wise breakup of those who put their state identity first showed the Andhrite to be the least orthodox in this regard.
> Keralites stood on top of the chart, with 43 per cent of them saying they are Keralites first and South Indians or Indians later.
> Tamilians came second in this order as 28 per cent of those polled said they would like to call themselves Tamilians first.
> Karnataka stood third at 20 per cent
> Andhra Pradesh ended at the rock bottom with 12 per cent.
What does that tell us? Are we all proud to be Indians?
According to Nandan Nilekani, “It all depends on one's upbringing and education."
"For instance, Arundhati and I were born in Bangalore, educated in Dharvad, went to IIT-Mumbai for studies, lived abroad for many years. So, I think the Indian psyche or the Indian consciousness is really prevailing in our consciousness,” he explains.
Interestingly, the survey also revealed that as more and more South Indians are exploring the world beyond South India, their perceptions have also undergone a change. But had the poll been conducted 50 years ago, the results would have possibly been different.
"The results would have been different for sure. In the last 50 years, a lot of migration has taken place. The more distant you are from your native place, the more likely you are to have a larger view about having a national identity," Prof Sandeep Shastri says.
Pride and Prejudice
Does a South Indian feel he or she is more intelligent than people in the rest of the country? When the question was posed to South Indians living in South India, a majority of them (47 per cent) said ‘yes, they are more intelligent than the people in the rest of the states'. Only 23 per cent of those polled believed that North Indians are more intelligent.
When the same question was posed to South Indians living outside South India, 37 per cent of them said 'yes' and an equal number of them said 'no'.
North-South Divide: Whose lifestyle is simpler?
As many as 54 per cent of South Indians living in South India say they think South Indians have a simpler lifestyle. Only 20 per cent said North Indians have a simpler lifestyle.
Responding to the poll results, Nandan Nilekani says the notion about South Indians being more intelligent is completely wrong. "Intelligent people are present in all parts of our country. We take people from all parts of the country and they all are equally bright and intelligent," he argues.
However, historian Ram Chandra Guha looks at it differently. "A historical writing by Sir Walter Crocker in 1966 says South is superior to North India in its relative lack of violence, its lack of anti-Muslim intolerance, its better educational standards, its cleanliness and its little taste for Hindu revivalism,” Guha says referring to the historical extract.
"We are not necessarily more intelligent, but we are more tolerant and more cosmopolitan," Guha claims, adding that "Sir Walter Crocker had further said if the English language is saved to India as a living language, it is the South that will save it.” Citing historical facts, Guha said South Indians have the most progressive affirmative action policy. In terms of tolerance, inclusiveness and pluralism, they have the edge above others in the country.
"We may be less or more intelligent than others, but we are certainly more plural and tolerant and that is where we are superior to others," Guha reasons.
North-South Divide: Where is it easier to bribe?
Close to 38 per cent of South Indians living in South India say it is easier to give bribes in South India while 18 per cent of them say it would be lot easier to bribe people in North India. When the same question was put to South Indians living outside South India, only 20 per cent said it's easier to bribe in South India while a majority (30 per cent) of them said giving bribes is much easier in North India.
Perhaps the bottomline of the poll revealed a more pertinent point; that no matter which part of India you stay in, it is not only possible but also extremely convenient to give bribes.
The North-South Divide: Where are women more free?
Thirty per cent of South Indians living in South India said women are more free in South while 45 per cent of them felt there is more freedom for women in North India.
Actor Suhasini Maniratnam says in a middle-class South Indian family, education for women holds key importance. "I am not sure if that is true of North India, but education is the most important thing for a woman in South India. It’s not a new development. Education for a girl child has always held utmost importance in South Indian families. Also women get more property rights in South India than any other state. To us, freedom doesn’t really mean the ability to go to a pub. These things generally do not gel with our culture," she argues.
“To me, having drip irrigation in smaller villages is more progressive than having a TGI Friday joint in every nook and corner of South India," she adds.
So does that mean a South Indian woman would probably feel safer in a bus in Chennai, Bangalore or Thiruvananthapuram than she would on a DTC bus in Delhi.
“There is no dispute over this issue. Women have their own space in South Indian society,” Arundhati Nag claims.
What about the conservative mindset that supposedly exists in the South Indian society? In a recent issue, South Indian film actress Khushboo’s forthright comments created a huge rage.
“That is just a flea in the ointment. Such things do not depict the true picture of a South Indian society. Women enjoy true freedom in South India. Even if you look at history, women have been trained to learn music and dance in South India. They have never been looked down upon. Culture is something that was made available to the women of the house, and that is why it permeated in the society," Arundhati Nag stated.
In a comparative survey among the southern states on different fields, Kerala stood first in terms of education. As many as 58 per cent of the respondents said Kerala is the number one state when it comes to education.
On the health front, however, 34 per cent of the respondents said Karnataka is number one. Karnataka stood first also in terms of employment opportunities, with 50 per cent of respondents saying that the state is best from the perspective of job opportunities.
Asked about the best state when it comes to information technology, the reply was obvious and Karnataka stood first with 56 per cent of votes.
Asked to name the safest city in South India, a good 75 per cent of those who participated in the poll voted for Bangalore. Hyderabad stood at number two with 63 per cent of respondents voting it the 'safest city'.
At number three was Thiruvananthapuram, with 53 per cent of the respondents voting for it. Chennai stood last in this poll where only 36 per cent of the respondents said it is a safe city. Overall, the survey shows Kerala is the number one state only in terms of education while on most other parameters, it is Karnataka which wins hands down.
“I think while talking about education, respondents assumed that we are talking about literacy rates," Prof Sandeep Shastri observes. "They linked education to literacy and my sense is that in terms of literacy, Kerala indeed stood first.”
Courtesy Infosys, Karnataka stands at number one in terms of employment and IT. Is that the reason why Nandan Nilekani chose Bangalore?
"When we set up Infosys in 1981, we moved to Bangalore because clearly the quality of talent, infrastructure, environment and weather played an important role. I think it was very much a part of the decision making," Nilekani recalls.
Looking beyond the Chennai vs Bangalore debate, the survey clearly shows that Bangalore is running ahead of Chennai on most parameters.
"I am surprised by the poll results. While in terms of IT and jobs, Bangalore does stand ahead of other cities, but I think Chennai should have stood number one in terms of safety. There are no organised gangs in this city and it is really a safer place to live," says Cho Ramaswamy.
Oppression of Dalits
When asked to cite some serious drawbacks and problems that exist in various states, Andhra Pradesh seemed to rank on top when it comes to oppression of Dalits. Over 47 per cent of the respondents felt Andhra Pradesh is oppressive towards Dalits. Kerala surprisingly stood first when it came to communal tension, with 36 per cent of the respondents saying Kerala has the highest degree of communal tension existing among all the Southern states.
Most Conservative
Caste has always been a big factor when it comes to South. So are the perceptions changing? Tamil Nadu was voted as the most conservative Southern state with 32 per cent of respondents seemed to believe that it is relatively more conservative.
"When you talk about inter-caste violence in Tamil Nadu and Andhra, one way of reading this data is to see the growing assertiveness of the lower castes. They are not as submissive as they were 30-40 years ago. Because rights are being ascertained and hence there are also more visible conflicts," Ramachandra Guha analyses.
There can be no denying the fact that cast has always been an issue in South India. There has always been a sense that South India is as caste-ridden as North India has always been. So is caste still a dominant factor in South India in the manner it was 20-30 years ago in terms of social relations?
"May be, it is so. I made only one feature film so far and that was based on caste differences. I grew up in a very small village and I have seen a lot of caste feuds there. They were so green in my memory that I could not choose any other subject for my feature film. Caste differences have existed in South India, but they have reduced to a great extent now," Suhasini Maniratnam said.
Does the Centre discriminates against South India?
Asked if they feel South Indian states are discriminated against by the Centre, as many as 37 per cent of the respondents said "yes, the centre does discriminate," while 21 per cent of the respondents said "no, there is no different treatment for South Indian states." Twenty per cent of respondents said the Centre genuinely favours South India.
"I do believe that South Indians feel that they are discriminated against. But there has been a change because of the changing economics in the last 15 years. I think since we are a far more centralised economy now, we plan and allocate resources through a political process. As you opened up the economy, and South took off the economic perspective and there is less of such feeling. The reality is that the growth rate in the South post-economic reforms has been quite spectacular and that has played a huge role in reducing a sense of disparity," Nilekani says.
Thus, as the southern states gain strength economically, they have eventually moved away from the dependency that they earlier had on the Centre.
Should English be a medium or a subject in schools
To this question, over 43 per cent of South Indians surveyed said it should be the medium while a surprising 53 per cent people said English should only be a subject in schools. Asked if Hindi should be a compulsory subject in schools, 36 per cent of the South Indians surveyed said Hindi should be a compulsory subject in schools whereas 49 per cent said it should be optional.
Is regional chauvinism breaking down
One in every two South Indians was ready to have Hindi as a compulsory subject in schools. The survey also revealed that only a meagre 5 per cent of South Indians said that Hindi should not be taught in southern schools. Does this mark the end of the linguistic chauvinism or the anti-Hindi movement?
"There was a wrong notion that ever since DMK came to power, it set an anti-Hindi platform. That is not so. The youngsters in South India want to learn Hindi because it opens up larger opportunities for an individual. If they know only the regional southern languages, it creates a linguistic barrier for all of them," Cho Ramaswamy explains.
This clearly indicates that as the job market expands, the anti-Hindi movement seems to have disintegrated. ‘Multilingual’ is the buzzword in the new South.
North South Divide: Marriage of Children
Surprisingly, 69 per cent of South Indians were ready to allow their daughter or son to get married to a North Indian. While 39 per cent of them said 'not at all'.
When the same question was posed to North Indians, 48 per cent said 'not at all', while 52 per cent said 'yes'.
"I don’t think there is any kind of discrimination between North and South when it comes to love and marriage," says Suhasini Maniratnam.
Responding to the subject, Ram Guha says, “Companies like Infosys are changing North Indian stereotypes. Once upon a time when a North Indian girl married a South Indian guy, she would ponder over things like his eating habits, language and other things. But now all that they think of is that good he would have a job in Infosys."
Final verdict: Does the future of India in the next 50-years lie South of the Vindhyas?
The survey clearly showed that we are more integrated today than we were 50 years ago. "I don’t believe there is too much of a rift over there. If the Ramayana can be the same from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, so can be the Indians, right from the North to the South," Arundhati Nag argues.
So, an Indian loves butter chicken on his platter as much as he does Idli Sambar. The North-South divide is no longer there as it used to be.
"I would rather flip this question and say that the future of India lies in the North, because if we can take these broadening influences, the education, the road to mobility and the pluralism of the South to some parts of the North where it is lacking, we can certainly build the future of India," Nandan Nilekani said.
Does that mean an outsourcing of talent and ideas from South to the rest of the country? "Perhaps a better way to end this debate is to admit that if all the values, the strong traditions of the South can be exported to the rest of country, India will be a better place over the next 50 years. The best news is that the best is still to come," says Rajdeep Sardesai.
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