00:00 The world's biggest general election begins today in India, with 969 million people eligible
00:08 to vote. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party and the opposition coalition
00:14 fronted by Rahul Gandhi are campaigning hard. The economy, start-ups, paid maternity and
00:20 the rights of minorities are some of the key issues being debated.
00:24 Thousands of miles away in the UK, a Channel 4 News survey has unveiled how British Indians
00:34 are connecting with politics in their ancestral homeland.
00:38 The findings show only 35% of British Indians view Narendra Modi favourably, with 52% saying
00:45 the opposite. However, there is a religious divide, as 57% of Hindu respondents say they
00:52 view him favourably, whilst only 19% of non-Hindus feel the same way.
00:57 "I don't think they will find anybody like Modi. He is holding on to Hinduism, which
01:04 is a great thing. It's the basic religion which is exceptionally good for the future
01:12 generation."
01:13 But religion is not the only factor. The survey shows Modi's popularity is also about India's
01:19 economy and global standing. Take last year's moon landings, for example.
01:23 "Who has gone up to the south pole of the moon? Whereas this has happened only in Modi's
01:32 reign. Improvement on the roads, everything."
01:35 "He's come from a very humble background and to be in that position now is very proud for
01:42 us as Gujaratis, similarly to seeing Rishi Sunak as an Indian Prime Minister of the UK."
01:49 Modi says the modernisation of railways and waterways are his vision for an inclusive
01:54 new India. But critics say policies such as the Citizenship Amendment Act allow some religious
02:00 minorities fast-track citizenship but excludes Muslims.
02:04 The survey also found religion divides perceptions of India's trajectory. 68% of Hindus said
02:11 it's going in the right direction, whilst only 25% of non-Hindus said the same.
02:16 "It is moving from a democratic state to a racial state."
02:22 Jasim is part of the UK Indian Muslim Council. The survey shows that religious tension is
02:28 a top concern for Muslim respondents.
02:30 "They are being intimidated on a daily basis. They worry about the situation they are going
02:38 to face the next day or the next hour."
02:40 And that all British Indians, irrespective of religion, feel religious violence is spilling
02:45 into the UK.
02:47 "The hate is transferred to the diaspora communities. It is important to come up with
02:56 the idea of social cohesion."
02:58 However, the top concern for everyone, according to the survey, is violence against women and
03:06 girls in India, as voiced by these young women at a Kabaddi training session.
03:11 "I don't think that's just going to be Modi. I think that's going to be in the future.
03:15 That's just India itself. My mum tells me stories and stuff. I'll be like, 'I'll go
03:18 to India by myself.' She's like, 'No, you can't do that. You can't do that.' But if
03:24 she's like, 'That's not safe.'"
03:25 Voting in India ends on the 1st of June, with results announced on the 4th. Many of the
03:30 diaspora here in Britain will be watching closely.
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