Published on Operation World (http://www.operationworld.org)
Jul 03: India, Uttarakhand, West Bengal
India
Republic of India
Asia
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Geography
Area: 3,166,000 sq kmA further 121,000 sq km of Kashmir, a contested area, is administered by Pakistan and China. Geographically and politically, India dominates South Asia and the Indian Ocean. There are 28 Union States and 7 Union Territories.
Population: 1,214,464,312 Annual Growth: 1.44%
Capital: Delhi
Urbanites: 30.1%
HDI Rank: 134 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)
Peoples
Peoples: 2,533 (88% unreached) All peoplesUnreached Peoples Prayer Card
Official language: Constitutionally there are 22 official languages. The official language is Hindi (spoken by 40% of the population). English is a subsidiary official language Languages: 456 All languages
Religion
Largest Religion: Hinduism| Religion | Pop % | Ann Gr | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christians | 71,011,000 | 5.84 | 3.7 |
| Evangelicals | 26,290,283 | 2.2 | 3.9 |
| Hinduism | 902,711,323 | 74.33 |
Challenge for Prayer
Ministry among the Dalits is one of the defining issues for the 21st Century Church, despite being a very complex one. The centuries-long oppression of these peoples is being made right, and Christians are at the forefront of such efforts. While the opportunity remains to reach up to 300 million with the gospel through compassionate ministry, Dalit issues extend beyond evangelism into human rights, development, education, economic empowerment and community transformation. Specific points for prayer:a) The Church, which is itself comprised mostly of people from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, has a rare opportunity to demonstrate the love of Christ unhindered by caste, race, language and economic status. Initial enthusiasm for this cause could easily wane if it is treated as opportunistic capitalization rather than as biblical compassion and justice. For the gospel to be seen as valid, Dalits must be treated as equals in the Church.
b) Dalits are a highly diverse grouping of many races, languages and all major religions, and they have sociological and economic hierarchies even among themselves. Any ministry to Dalits must take into account the unique status and context of each group.
c) The Dalit Freedom Network, the primary advocate for this challenge in India, addresses issues related to Dalit rights and freedoms.
For an additional 14 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
More Information
The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of India.Uttarakhand
India
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Challenge for Prayer
Many barriers stand between the people of Uttarakhand and the flourishing of the gospel. Pray that the Lord of hosts might break down the following barriers between the people of this state and Himself:a) Religion and culture. Hindus are 85% of the population. Uttarakhand is home to some of Hinduism’s most holy pilgrimage sites – Haridwar (host of the Kumbh Mela), Badrinath, Kedarnath and others attract millions of pilgrims each year. A holy Sikh shrine also attracts many visitors. The people of Uttarakhand claim to be guardians of the gods’ land and are therefore very resistant to the gospel. Pray that both the native peoples and the pilgrims who come seeking release from the cycle of suffering will find it in Jesus.
b) Spiritual forces. This region is known for mixing animism with Hinduism, especially in Gahrwal. Occult practices and magic abound among these people, with their ardent belief in the power of spirits.
c) Caste. Uttarakhand’s population is largely upper caste, dominated by Rajput (70%) and Brahmin (20%). Christians who minister here must be fluent in Hindi and local languages and able to present the gospel in enlightened, more intellectual ways; methods used to reach oppressed Dalits and tribals will probably accomplish very little.
For an additional 3 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
More Information
The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of Uttarakhand.West Bengal
India
See Prayer Information
Challenge for Prayer
Christians are less than 1% of the population, numbering 610,000 based on census figures. Nominalism remains a problem in many churches. Of Christians, 90% come from poor and marginalized communities. But hope is growing:a) Prayer has yielded an increased response with significant key conversions and a new vision in some denominations to plant congregations where there are none.
b) The number of denominations and agencies at work is approaching 200. Some have grown very rapidly. National Fellowship, a mission that started in 1989, now has over 700 workers and volunteers. A rising number of these agencies focus on unreached areas and peoples in West Bengal.
c) Praise God for a new colloquial Bengali Bible translation and for the growth of Christian radio in the region.
For an additional 3 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
