TAMIL NADU

1 Christians have significantly grown in numbers over the past 20 years – more than official statistics would imply.

a) A continued ethnic communalism and caste identity which hinders Christian maturity and unity

b) Christian leaders to have integrity in administration, finances and morality

c) The vision for prayer, evangelism and outreach to all of India

2 The less evangelized – despite the large Christian presence and numerous agencies, large segments of the population remain unreached:

a) The majority of Christians are in Chennai and the southern districts

b) Few of the major people groups listed above have more than a few hundred known believers

c) The Tamil-speaking Muslims,

d) The tribals

3 )The outreach needs:

a) Of the 3,311 pincode areas, 57% had no Christian workers in 1998

b) The Assemblies of God began in 1973 with 7 members; they had 800 churches in the state in 2000

TRIPURA

1 The indigenous peoples are now a minority in their own state.

2 Christians have been persecuted both by animists and by extremist Hindu groups

3 The less evangelized will remain so without a multiplication of workers from within and outside Tripura

a) The Bengali majority of two million

b) The Buddhist Chakma are slowly responding to the gospel

c) The Tripura have become more open,

Geography - Tamil Nadu

Area 130,000 sq.km.

Population 65.3m

Capital Chennai (formerly Madras) 6m.

Peoples - Tamil Nadu

400+.

Main groups Vanniyan 9.4m; Tamil Muslim 3.7m; Ahir/Tadava/Golla 2.9m; Maravan 2.6m;

SC (95) 19.2%.

ST (53) 1.03%.

Languages Tamil 86.7%;Telugu (largely Chennai) 7.1%; Kannada 2.2%; Urdu 1.9%; Malayalam 1.2%.

Religion - Tamil Nadu

Hindu 88.6%; Christian 5.7%; Muslim 5.5%; Other 0.2%.

Geography - Tripura

Area 10,500 sq.km.

Population 3,590,000;

Capital Argatala.

Peoples - Tripura

People groups The destabilizing effects of Bengali immigration distort the statistics.

Main groups 52.6%, mainly various Bengali people groups

SC (31) 16.4%

ST (23) 31%

Religion - Tripura

Hindu 85.3%; Muslim 7.1% (Bengali); Buddhist 4.6% (Chakma); Christian 3% (tribal peoples).

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