General background: With the second highest population of any country in the world and one of the fastest growing economies, India is a nation of immense global significance. 2007 saw widespread celebrations to mark 60 years of independence, and yet India is far from isolated – it is intricately connected to many of the world’s wealthiest nations and is a major player in the global economy and within the subcontinent region.

With the awesome heights of the Himalayas in the far north, the jungles along the Burmese border and the great Thar Desert in Rajistan, India is a land of vast contrasts. In addition to being a magnet for multinational business types, India attracts tourists of many kinds, from the sun-seekers bound for the beaches of Goa, to the trekkers in search of the high peaks of Ladakh and the heritage trailers making pilgrimage to the Taj Mahal.

Since independence, India has operated as a secular democracy, a status which continues to be threatened by communal, caste and regional tensions. The ongoing dispute with Pakistan regarding the contested territory of Kashmir, has enjoyed a few years of relative calm, but decades of hostile history and the fact that both countries have nuclear capabilities, ensures that the Kashmir issue continues to be a major concern for the global community. In recent years, the increase in communist rebellions within India and the formation (in 2004) of the Communist Party of India (Maoists) have led to a greater sense of internal strife. Despite the rapid growth of the economy and the increasing numbers amongst the wealthy classes, many in India continue to struggle in the most dire poverty. Overpopulation and environmental degradation represent two of the major challenges to the country and human trafficking, whether for bonded labour or commercial sex work, remains a serious problem.

Religions:

On gaining independence from Britain in 1947, the subcontinent was divided into secular India and Muslim Pakistan, (with East Pakistan becoming Bangladesh in 1971). However, the proportion of Muslims living in modern day India has gradually increased. The approximate proportions of adherents to the main religions are as follows:

Hindu 80.4%
Muslim 13.4%
Christian 2.3%
Buddhist 1.9%
Seikh 1.5%

Mission in India: challenges and opportunities

India has more people groups with no Christians (and no churches) than any other country in the world. Although there are over 20 million Christians in India and countless church and mission agencies, many have not yet heard about Jesus Christ and his offer of new life. That said, the church continues to grow at a rapid rate, providing both opportunities and challenges regarding the training and development of leaders. The recent rise of fundamentalist factions, who actively oppose (sometimes with violence) Christian witness, has seen an increased threat to those who convert to Christianity and those who seek to evangelise within India.

If the hallmark of Christianity is to serve the least of these (Matthew 25), India offers countless opportunities to respond to Christ’s call to holistic mission. Many millions in India remain trapped in abject poverty, illness and immense suffering. The God who stands with people in hardship and offers hope beyond the ‘here and now’ is a God that India needs to know.