Pray for India

India is located in South Asia.
It is bordered by Pakistan in the west; China and Bhutan in the north-east;
Burma and Bangladesh in the east.

In the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

New Delhi is th capital
The population is over 1.2 billion.

FACTS
India is the second-most populous country in the world.

India has over 2000 ethnic groups.

At least 400 different languages are spoken in India.

Four of the world's major religions originated in India:
Hinduism
Buddhism
Jainism
Sikhism

DEMOGRAPHICS
80.5%  Hindu
13.4%  Muslim
2.3%   Christian
1.8%   Sikh
0.8%   Buddhists
0.4%   Jains
0.7%   Other
0.1%   Unspecified

HISTORY
India's history stretches back thousands of years.

India was home to many kingdoms and empire
Indus Valley Civilisation  3300-1300 B.C.
Mahājanapadas                700-300 B.C.
Mauryan Empire               321-185 B.C.
Gupta Empire                 320-600 A.D.

Many foreign countries gained control over parts of India as well.
Greeks/Macedonians
Parthians
Kushans
Sassanids

Zoroastrianism and Islam arrived in the 1st millennium.

Christianity was introduced in the 1st century A.D.

India was gradually brought under the control of Britain during the early 18th century.

India was administered directly by Britain from the mid-19th century.

India became an independent nation in 1947.

After independence, the Akali Dal, a Sikh-dominated political party active mainly in Punjab,
sought to create a Sikh State.

During the 1950’s the Akalis launched the Punjabi Suba movement aimed at creation of a Punjabi-majority subah (province) in the former East Punjab state

During the 1970’s Sikhs called for the creation of a separate Sikh homeland known as Khalistan.  
This led to a state of emergency being declared by Indira Gandhi, who believed the creation of Khalistan would drastically weaken India

In 1984  during Operation Blue Star, Gandhi called in troops to removet militants who had taken shelter in the Golden Temple.
Thousands of civilians were in the crossfire.

The Operation  greatly exacerbated tensions between the Indian government and the Sikh community, and resulted in widespread sectarian violence.
It also resulted in an insurgency in Punjab, which would be waged by Sikh militants for over a decade.

Some extremists carried out a terror attack placing a bomb in an Air India flight over the Atlantic Ocean, killing more than 300 people.

CONDITIONS
India has a huge diversity of racial, ethnic, religious and linguistic groups.

Over the past ten years India's economy has been growing.

Despite this growth over 600 million people live in deep poverty.
300 million don't have enough to live on each day.
Many people live in slums.
41 million are homeless.

Half the children and young people of India live in poverty.
Many more young people are malnourished.

Millions of children work in sweatshops or are sold into slavery to pay off
their parents debts.

There is a growing trade in child prostitution.
Many children are bought from neighboring Nepal and Bangladesh.

As a result of povertyand extreme dowry systems, foeticide and female infanticide is common.
As a result of this, it's illegal to know the sex of an unborn child in India.

There are 4 million orphans.

10 million people in India are blind.

Other problems include border disputes, overpopulation, economic conflicts and religious strife.

Recently India has suffered unusual weather patterns.
The 2004 tsunami and the 2005 quake have rendered many homeless.

SPIRITUAL CONDITIONS
80% of the population is Hindu.

Indian society is based on Hinduism, which divides everyone into different 'castes' (classes).
Hinduism has over a million different gods.
Hindu ways of thinking even effect parts of the church.

Millions have never heard the Gospel.
India has more people groups with no Christians or churches than any other
part of the world.

At the current rate of progress it could take 100 years to translate the Bible
into all of India's languages.

In the past, persecution was confined to specific regions of India.
It has now spread nearly everywhere, as radical Hindus seek to purify
India of all religions except Hinduism.

Hindutva ideology, which seeks to enforce Hindu dominance, has been advancing rapidly.

Seven Indian states have anti-conversion laws in place.

There have been numerous reports of Christians being arrested and assaulted and church buildings and schools being damaged.

Hindu extremists continue to target Christians with harassment, false accusations, beatings and even murder.

The church is growing rapidly despite presecution.
Unity is increasing as a result of the mounting opposition.

THE ORISSA/KARNATAKA RIOTS
In 2008-9, the worst anti-Chirstian violence since Inda's independence, broke out in Orissa and Karnataka.
Hindu militants burned homes, churches and belongings.
More than 100 people were killed, and about 70,000 were left homeless.
Only 24 people have been convicted for participating in the attacks, 95 were acquitted.

The Christians of Kandhamal are still living in a situation of discrimination.
Sometimes supplies that should be distributed among the poor are not delivered to the Christians.
They are not allowed to take water from the well, collect firewood or buy food
In some villages Christian children are not allowed access to government schools.

MARTYRS AND SUFFERERS
2008-9
During the Orissa/Karnataka attacks more than 100 people were killed,
70,000 were  left homeless.

2010
In 2010 nine Christians were killed.

2011
Saul Pradhan, a Christian preacher was murdered by Hindu radicals in Jan.

On April 5, Pastor Yadal was attacked in the village of Vadarpalaya, Karnataka.
Police officers stopped him while he was on his way to preach, beat him
and accused him of forcibly converting Hindus.

17-year-old Nirupama Pradhan was raped and murdered after school in May.
Her father, Sitrian Pradhan, named the possible murderer, but police have done nothing to find the murderer.

Two Indian nationals have been locked in a Saudi Arabian jail for more than two months,
even though they were sentenced to just 45 days in prison.
The religious police arrested them during a raid on a prayer meeting.
The men were reportedly beaten during the interrogation and were also pressured
to convert to Islam.

PRAYER NEEDS
Pray for the millions who are homeless or suffering from poverty.

Pray for the millions of female infants at risk of being killed.

Pray for the millions of orphans.

Pray for the millions of children who are trapped in slavery.

Pray for those whose lives and health is at risk everyday.

Pray that leadership and discipleship training programs will help believers
grow in faith and maturity.

Pray for the peaceful resettlement of Christians still displaced by the violence in Orissa.

Ask God to provide for children orphaned in religious riots.

Pray for the Indian missionaries working in India who face persecution
and opposition.

Pray for a hedge of protection around Christians and missionaries in India.

Pray that the Gospel spread as never before.
Pray for Hindu conversions to Christ.

Pray for the Christians in Orissa who are displaced or suffering in the aftermath
of the 2008 riots.
Pray that the Lord will supply all their needs.
Pray that the authorities will take action on behalf.

Pray that the church will develop models of discipleship and ways of worship
that reflect their own culture.

Pray that more translators be equipped for the challenge of translating the Bible.

Pray for 'Torch Trust for the Blind' who are producing the whole Bible
in Braille in 12 major Indian languages.