INDIA MAIL, 28 March 2002

TAMIL VILLAGES GOSPEL MISSION: 10 people went to Orissa on the 20th February 2002 for the first `100-Village Ministry’. 100 volunteers helped in the ministry and each distributed 100 gospels in a day. 10,000 Luke gospels were distributed in a day. TVGM is planning to conduct their next `100-Village Ministry’ in Erode district, Tamil Nadu from 1st to 6th April 2002 and they need 100 volunteers. TVGM also started Orissa VGM Children Home in Orissa. Praise God for providing a small piece of land for OVGM Children Home through a believer who was cured of T.B. Nearly 50 lay leaders conduct Sunday services in Orissa villages. There is a need for a MBBS doctor to serve in Orissa fields.

GOSPEL PARTNERS MOVEMENT — PERSECUTED: In Amdha field, Gujarat, 40 believers gathered for Sunday service on 17th February 2002 in a believer’s house. When the service was about to start, a mob from villages nearby entered the house with iron rods, axes and other weapons and started breaking the musical instruments. Later they went to the church that was under construction and started damaging it. They also threatened the believers to kill them if they gather again for worship service. The church construction has been stopped temporarily. May God protect the workers and believers in Gujarat.

KING OF KINGS MINISTRY: Praise God for His blessings during the past 18 years of ministry. In the year 2001, more than 10,000 people heard the gospel and 70 people joined the church. So far 150 students have graduated from their Bible school. Women workers conduct cell churches regularly. Nearly 2000 children grow in the Lord through their church ministry. There are 150 orphans in the two orphanages, one for boys and the other for girls, run by King of Kings Ministry.

INDIAN EVANGELICAL MISSION: IEM has 455 workers serving in various parts of our country. 25 young men and women join IEM every year. IEM ministers among 50 different people groups. They have 37 mission fields with 128 work bases in India and 6 overseas.

UNREACHED MEGA PEOPLES — BHUIYA: The population of the Bhuiya is 1.7 million. They are a Dravidian community and live in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Bengal, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh. In Bihar alone, their population is 1,300,000. They are farm labourers. They have a tribal council, known as Bhayyari, and a hereditary president, known as the Mahto. It is the father’s duty to find a bride for his son and he pays a bride price. The groom has his forehead anointed with rice and turmeric by the bride’s father. They worship Kali and Parmesar. May a new version of the Bible be made available in the Magahi language. (Source: Unreached Mega Peoples of India)

NON-GUJARATI MUSLIM OFFICERS AWAIT AN EXIT: Zafar Masani (name changed), a Central government official in Ahmedabad, has seen his world go topsy-turvy in recent weeks. He said he got a shock of his life when a subordinate employee told him to pray to Allah to allow a Ram Temple in Ayodhya. TIMES NEWS NETWORK (MARCH 27, 2002)

GUJARAT RIOTERS DID IT BY THE BOOK: The Manual of rioting is back in circulation. Even as the Narendra Modi government and the Gujarat Police talk about the “spontaneous” nature of the riots that followed Godhra, the pattern of violence can be found in guidelines laid down in a pro-Hindu booklet. The booklet – Hinduno Bachao: Akraman ane Kayedo (Save Hindus: Attacks and Laws) – first surfaced in Gujarat two years ago after the withdrawal of an order that allowed government employees to participate in RSS programmes. The terror manual stated that an organised attack on minorities could be made to look like a ‘spontaneous’ reaction by the public. (Hindustan Times, March 26, 2002)

KARNATAKA — The Brain Bank of India: The State of Karnataka has 13 universities; 76 Engineering Colleges (annual intake 30,000 students). Bangalore has 12 Engineering Colleges, the largest number in any city in the world. 181 polytechnics; 19 medical colleges; 41 dental colleges. 80,000 students from various parts of India come to study in the state every year. (Source: Business World, 25 March 2002)

MANGALORE CITY, KARNATAKA: In 1799 Mangalore came under the British rule after the fall of Tippu Sultan. In 1866 Mangalore became a Muncipality. In 1902 a plague affected the city leading to 836 deaths. In 1934 Mangalore city was electrified. The city is famous for cashewnuts, palm grooves, and harbour. Three missionaries from Basel Mission started their journey to India via Cape of Good Hope and landed at Calicut on 14th Oct. 1834. In 1836 the first Basel Mission Kanarese School was started in Mangalore with 4 children. In 1843, St. Paul’s Church in Mangalore was built. Total Number of slums is 27, Population 27,154; Households 4923. There are about 15 Churches, 7 denominations, and 5 Missions which serve in the city of Mangalore.

Compiled by IMA Research Team and sent by India Missions Association, Chennai.