India Profile

Total Area:
3,287,590 sq. km

Population:
1,147,995,898 (July 2008 est.)

Ethnicity:
Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and Other 3% (2000)

Language:
English enjoys associate status but is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication; Hindi is the national language and primary tongue of 30% of the people; there are 14 other official languages: Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit; Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout northern India but is not an official language.

Religion:
Hindu 80.5%, Muslim 13.4%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, Other 1.8% (2001)

Government Type:
Federal Republic

Capital:
New Delhi

Population Below Poverty Line:
25% (2007 est.)

Country Reports

More Christians killed in anti-Christian violence Orissa Print E-mail
October 08, 2008

At least three more Christians have been killed over in the widespread violence that began seven weeks ago in Orissa state's Kandhamal district (see links on India's Country Report for more information).

On October 1, an elderly Christian, Lalji Nayak, died from axe wounds he received when a mob of Hindu militants attacked the village of Hrudangia the previous day. His wife, also attacked with an axe, was seriously injured in the head and his brother has been hospitalized with multiple gunshot wounds.

On October 2, two men were dragged out of their home in Sindhipankha village, shot and then dismembered. The assailants also massacred cattle belonging to village Christians and burned Christian-owned houses. Approximately 400 homes have been set on fire by militants in in Kandhamal and Boudh district over the past week.

Pray that those who mourn will find peace in the fact that those who have suffered with Christ will be glorified with Him (Romans 8:15-17). Pray for healing for those injured. Pray that Christians in India will
continue to live as cross-bearing disciples and remain steadfast in
faith at all cost.

To find out more about the plight of Christians in India, click here.

 
© 2010 - The Voice of the Martyrs Inc. (Canada) | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Website designed & hosted by JimBits Solutions