Operation World - Pray Today

	India
	Republic of India
	May 31-June 16

Asia

< prev June 16

1 The Bengalis number 230 million with 200 communities in India, South Asia and the world.

2 Christians are few; 90% come from poor and marginalized communities and probably 95% of the 480,000 'Christians' are nominal

a) The Reach Bengal Movement,

b) Prayer has yielded an increased response

c) There are now 150 denominations and agencies in the state of which only a few are fully committed to unreached areas and peoples,

d) The visionary goal of placing a Christian worker in every state pincode area: of the 1,357 areas, 74% are without a resident witness

3 Kolkata is a large industrial and trading city, but Marxist rule has hindered growth and investment

a) There are 200 churches in the city but only 25% are Bengali-speaking

b) Mission Kolkata 2000 launched in 1994 has mobilized hundreds of Christians for massive literature distribution and church planting

c) Non-Bengali immigrants are 42% of the population,

4 The least evangelized

THE SIX UNION TERRITORIES

1 Andaman and Nicobar Islands comprise 350,000 inhabitants on 38 islands in the Bay of Bengal.

2 Lakshadweep. Twelve coral atolls and 36 islands in the Arabian Sea

< prev June 16

Geography - West Bengal

Area 88,800 sq.km.

Population 81,700,000

Capital Kolkata (Calcutta) 12,800,000

Peoples - West Bengal

203.

Main groups Bengali Muslims 22m; Shaikh (Mus) 20.2m; Mahishya 5m; Ahir/Yadav/Sadgope/ Sadgaola 4.7m;

SC (63) 24%

ST (38) 5.9%

Languages Bengali 85.8%; Hindi 5.3%; Santali 2.6%; Urdu 2.1%; Nepali 1.3%.

Religion - West Bengal

Hindu 75.1%; Muslim 23.4%; Christian 0.6%

Internet Links

The above information and prayer material is an excerpt from the full text of Operation World for today's date. To view the prayer calendar for the year click here. If you would like the material for other days in the prayer calendar, you can purchase Operation World (click here for more information). Operation World content © 2001 Patrick J. St. G. Johnstone. All Rights Reserved. See Policy for use and reproduction permissions. Published by Paternoster Lifestyle (an imprint of Paternoster Publishing). Web site development by Global Mapping International.