Majority View Manipur Situation as Ethnic Conflict, Backing Central Government's Actions: Survey

A recent survey conducted by Pollsters India on the situation in Manipur has revealed intriguing insights, indicating a significant divide between perception and reality. The survey, carried out between July 22 and 27, involved 9,679 adult respondents (18+) from 22 states and union territories, using the CATI system. One of the striking findings of the survey is that a majority of respondents, constituting 55%, view the situation in Manipur as an ethnic conflict between the Meities and Kukis. In contrast, only 29% of those surveyed consider it primarily a law-and-order issue. The remaining 16% did not express a clear opinion on the matter.

When it comes to assessing the response of the state government, half of the respondents (50%) believe that the state government could have done more to control the situation. In contrast, 34% of the respondents expressed satisfaction with the state government's handling of the situation. As for the central government's role, a significant majority, around 57% of respondents, opined that the Union Government has done enough to address the issue in Manipur. Only 25% believed the central government could have done more, while 18% did not have a definite stance on the matter.

Interestingly, the survey revealed that the Opposition's criticism of the central government has not had a significant impact on the respondents. Instead, most of them perceive the situation as a state-level issue and attribute the responsibility to the state government's alleged mishandling. The supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) overwhelmingly view the Manipur issue as an ethnic conflict, with 70% holding this belief. In contrast, the Congress and its allies' supporters are divided on the matter, with 40% considering it an ethnic conflict and 36% labeling it as a law-and-order problem.

The survey also reached out to politically neutral individuals, who surprisingly leaned more towards the BJP's perspective on the issue. Among this group, 51% see Manipur as an ethnic conflict, while 31% perceive it as a law-and-order problem. The supporters of other political parties, who have not aligned with the Congress-led alliance, are split on the matter, with 44% considering it an ethnic conflict and 41% labeling it as a law-and-order issue.

In conclusion, the survey by Pollsters India presents a clear divide in public perception regarding the situation in Manipur. A significant majority of respondents view it as an ethnic conflict, while a lesser percentage sees it as a law-and-order problem. Furthermore, the survey reveals that the central government has garnered more support than opposition parties on the issue. The results shed light on the complexities of the situation in Manipur and offer valuable insights into public opinion on the matter. However, it is essential to interpret these findings within the context of the survey methodology, which includes a margin of error of +/- 3% at the macro level and +/- 5% at the micro level with a 95% confidence interval.