Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a country-wide lockdown for 21 days beginning March 24th. India’s population is 1.37 billion.1 While lots of negative news regarding the lockdown has been circulating via biased international and Indian news media outlets Indians rich and poor and all those in between seem to be taking heed to Modi’s directive. Many are applauding the humble way the message was delivered and is being implemented.
The lockdown in India seems to be progressing well so far. What makes the world’s largest lockdown possible?
Trust in Government and Institutions
Holding a positive perception about the actions of an individual or organization is the basis of having trust. This represents the confidence that citizens have in the actions of a government to do what is right and perceived to be fair.2 Perceptions of fairness and credibility include – social trust, political trust, trust in institutions, free and fair elections, free and fair media, efficient delivery systems, governance, and finally, trust in each other. These factors contribute to harmony at the micro and macro levels in society. The Edelman trust barometer (a score of 60/100 indicates trust) global report released in 2019 indicated that trust in institutions in India jumped 4 points from the last survey to a high of 72/100, with Indonesia, the UAE, and China indicating most trust in institutions in their countries.3 This means that the overall public mood in India was optimistic among respondents who believed that their lives are going well and their future will be positive in the upcoming years.
Another public opinion survey conducted by Gallup in 2018 shows that Indians have high levels of trust in the country’s medical workers and the government4. Meaning, the citizens trust the government and the healthcare infrastructure, and this trust seems to have contributed to the successful implementation of the lockdown. The Gallup survey indicates that 9/10 Indians trust the doctors and nurses in the country. The survey shows that 84% of Indians indicate that they have a lot or some trust in the information which comes from the government. About 86% of those surveyed in India indicated that they trust the medical advice and health information they receive from medical workers such as doctors and nurses a “lot” more as compared to those surveyed in other South Asian nations – Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal, and Pakistan. Indians seemed to have the highest trust in the country’s doctors and nurses and Afghanistan seemed to have the least trust, followed by Pakistan.
An older Gallup poll indicated that Indians are feeling safer under Prime Minister Modi. The poll shows that 7/10 surveyed feel safe where they live and that increase and confidence in the Military and local police have improved under Modi’s governance5 since he took office in 2014. These statistics show that the Indians as a whole seem to trust their government, including their local law enforcement despite some gender and regional variance across the nation. Overall, women too seem to feel safer under Modi’s rule as compared to feeling safe5 under previous administration(s).
Why does trust in government matter for India and its citizens? Trust is one of the most important factors as well as a foundation that supports the legitimacy and sustainability of political institutions – political systems, law and order, judiciary, equity, political economy, national security, and general infrastructure in society which makes the society function. This trust is important in maintaining social cohesion and well-being and this in turn affects the government’s ability to govern without resorting to coercion.
Prime Minister Modi has appealed to all the citizens and even sought forgiveness from the economically disadvantaged who are suffering the most now while the lockdown is in place. The Indian public seemed to have generally responded in a positive sense, though some continue to defy the lockdown, hide their travel histories, or try to create havoc (the Delhi migrant fiasco). An example of this is the short-sighted attempt by Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal which created an unnecessary exodus of migrant workers increasing tensions and issues for law enforcement and other bureaucratic systems. Such ignorant and malicious elements risk the lives of hundreds of thousands. The risk is not just to public health and infection and mortality rates but also to factors such as trust in government and institutions. A poor decision by one elected official – Arvind Kejriwal – can have long-lasting negative effects on a whole. The dangerous faux pas of migrant workers heading to their hometowns from Delhi, the failure of good governance, and the violation of the Prime Minister’s lockdown directive by the Chief Minister of Delhi needs investigation.
Other issues such as some groups and individuals violating lockdown orders, attacking police officers, hiding infected foreigners from the public eye, turning off cell phones to avoid being tracked, spitting on others, and public and private properties while under lockdown and/or quarantine are ongoing challenges. The biased media – which is an institution that has witnessed a decline in trust over the years; India’s trust in the media is at 61%; fear of fake news is the most worrisome concern3 – is ready to label every challenge as a religious, communal, Hindu-Muslim issue without fail, conveniently negating the truth behind violations or worse, framing violations by non-cooperative groups and individuals as government failures.
In summary, faith in institutions and government, including healthcare workers is strong in India. The lockdown is not without issues and challenges. However, India seems to be doing very well in combating the unprecedented global chaos created by the pandemic. In addition, to trust in government and health institutions, the regional approach of bottom-up governance seen at the district and state level in India is what Indian pluralism is all about. Regardless of the level of trust in the Central government, Indians, in general, are cooperating with their local law enforcement agencies. Institutions are pillars of democratic governance and if this faith exists among Indians, the nation will economically bounce back despite various pandemic-related challenges.
References
- United Nations data: https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/india-population/
- Easton, D. (1965), A Systems Analysis of Political Life, John Wiley, New York.
- Edelman Trust Barometer, retrieved from: https://www.edelman.com/post/india-high-trust-higher-expectations
- Gallup survey, “India’s COVID-19 Lockdown Depends on Trust in Institutions.” Retrieved from: https://news.gallup.com/opinion/gallup/305816/india-covid-lockdown-depends-trust-institutions.aspx
- Gallup survey, Indians Feeling Safer Under Modi,” retrieved from: https://news.gallup.com/poll/249203/indians-feeling-safer-modi.aspx?utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_content=morelink&utm_campaign=syndication