MISSION AMONG THE POOR International, Inc.

 

 

Panta Ta Ethne

All the Peoples

5807 I-10 West
SAN ANTONIO, TX 78201

ph: 210-525-9954

Durg Mission

DURG MISSION


 

Chattisgarh is the 27th state of India. Raipur serves as its capital. It is the 10th largest state of India by area. Chattisgarh takes its name from 36 (Chattis is thirty-six in Hindi and Garh is Fort) princely states in this region from very old times. Chattisgarh is the zenith of the hopes and desires of the aboriginal people. They are considered marginalized and downtrodden only because they reside deep in the heartland of Central India. The state Chattisgarh was carved out of the largest Indian state Madhya Pradesh and came into existence on 1 November 2000.

The tribals of this region were also amongst the earliest to work with metal and have expertise in making beautiful figurines of tribal gods, votive animals, oil lamps, and animal carts. Chattisgarh is also blessed with exceptional natural beauty, and promises to be a favorite destination for researchers, anthropologists, wildlife enthusiasts, and nature lovers. Unfortunately, this place is always a victim to violence and riots due to the presence of the Naxalite Maoist rebels.

I  Geography

  • Chattisgarh is relatively small with a total area of 135,191 sq. km.
  • There are 16 (+2) revenue districts, 96 tehsils, 146 community development blocks, 97 towns, 20,308 villages, and about 330 police stations
  • Thick forests cover around 45% of the total area (i.e., 59,772 sq. km), which means that around .12% of India's forests are in Chattisgarh

II  Districts

Chattisgarh is divided into 16 districts: Bastar, Bilaspur, Dantewada (South Bastar), Dhamtari, Durg, Janjgir-Champa, Jashpur, Kanker (North Bastar), Kawardha, Korba, Koriya (Korea), Mahasamund, Raigarh, Raipur, Rajnandgaon, and Surguja. In May 2007, 2 new districts have been constituted by the state government to enable better administration. These new districts are: Bijapur and Narayanpur. This makes the total count of districts in Chattisgarh as 18.

III Population

  • The population of the state is 2,08,33, 803, which is 2.03% of the country and comprises of 1,04,74,218 males and 1,03,59,585 females
  • The population of Chattisgarh is quite young with 33.2% below the age of 15 years
  • There is a lot of cultural diversity in the state as 40% of the population belong to the disadvantaged groups, i.e., the scheduled castes (11.6%) and scheduled tribes (31.8%)
  • About 17 million people live in rural areas while the remaining 4 million are in urban areas. The rural population depend on agriculture as a source of their livelihood
  • The indigenous groups in particular have long been subject to exploitation by many areas has undergone a change
  • Demographers and sociologists are lately concerned at the changing demographic profile of the region since the proportion of the indigenous groups have decreased in the last few decades
  • Violence from the Naxalites and the counter violence by the security agencies has severely affected the lives of the indigenous people of the state

IV  Language

Chattisgarhi is the form of Hindi language or the language in its own right that is spoken and understood by majority of people in Chattisgarh, but a total of 93 languages are spoken in the state, representing all three of India's linguistic groups: Munda (Austro-Asiatic languages), Dravidian, and Indo-European. Chattisgarhi is majorly an Indo-European dialect/language, but has an abundance of Munda and Dravidian words and features.

  • Munda Language Family: Korku (spoken by more than 200,000 people), Kharia, Korba, Muasi, Toori, Nihali-Mankari, Khaerwari, Birhord, Kodaku, Dhelki, Mahto, Kora-Majhi, Mundari, and Santhali. The only known speaker of Gadba (Munda dialect spoken in Bastar district) has died at the age of 80
  • Dravidian Language Family: Kurukh or Oraon (spoken by 300, 609 people), Parja or Dhurbi (30, 000 people), Gondi, Dormi, Dandami-Maria, Bhuria, Abujh-Maria, Koya, and Ghotul-Muriya
  • Indo-European Family: Among 93 dialects spoken in Chattisgarh, 70 are classified as belonging to this family. The important ones are: Agariya, Binjhwari, Baigani, Bhuliya, Lariya, Dhanwar, Panka, Dindwar, Sadri, and Halbi

V  Religions

The major religions practiced by the people of Chattisgarh are Hinduism, Animism, Islam, Buddhism, and Jainism. The religious sects found here are like Satnami, Kabirpandh, and Ramnami Samaj. The Dussehra is the most famous festival of the region. The fundamentalist and orthodox nature of the people of this region are on an increase. Durg, Bhilai, Bilaspur, and Raipur are the towns where almost all the religions are found.

 
 

 

Continued... 

One important religious group of these areas is Satnami, who worship a person who lived some decades ago named Gurugasidas. The tribes of Chattisgarh state are known for their unique and distinctive tribal culture and heritage in allover the world. Each tribal group has their own distinct culture and enjoy their own unique traditional living styles. Each tribe has developed its own dialects and differ from each other in their customs, eating habits, costume, traditions and even worship different forms of god and goddess. A large number of tribals are still living in deep forests and avoid mixing with outsiders in order to protect their own unique culture. The tribals of the state are also known for their colorful festivals, arts and crafts.

VI  Women

In Chattisgarh, the percentage of females is higher than males in the rural population as compared to the urban

  • Most of the old temples here are related to women-power (e.g., Shabari, Mahamaya, and Danteswari)
  • Women generally marry at a younger age than elsewhere. Women in aged between 20-49 years were found to have married at median age of 15.4 years; and 34% of girls aged between 15-19 years are already married
  • There is a widespread social belief in witchcraft in Chattisgarh. Women are supposed to have access to supernatural forces, and often accused of witchcraft and called 'Tonhi' by people jealous of them. They are barbarically persecuted
  • Women are abused as sex-tools, raped, persecuted, and dehumanized on a regular basis throughout the state

VII  Recent Events

  • On September 3, 2005, 20 policemen were killed by a mine in district of Bijapur. The mine had been laid there by Naxalite rebels, who have joined with the rebels in Nepal
  • On February 28, 2006, 55 civilians were killed in Dantewada district after their trucks were blown up by Naxalites, one of the deadliest such Naxalite attacks in India's history
  • On March 25, 2006, 13 civilians were killed in Kanker district after a land mine detonated underneath their jeep. Naxalite rebel involvement has been alleged by local police
  • On April 28, 2006, 13 out of a group of 50 hostages were found partly beheaded in Dantewada district. Naxalite rebels were suspected in the hostage-taking and the massacre
  • On March 15, 2007, at least 55 police officers were reported killed in an attack on a police outpost in the village of Radi Bodli by Naxalite Maoist rebels. The dead included 15 personnel of the Chattisgarh Armed Forces and 34 Special Police Officers (SPO's). 12 others were injured in the attack. The total forces present during the time of the attack were 23 regular officers and 55 SPO's.

VIII  Durg District

Durg is a city and a municipal corporation in Durg District in the state of Chattisgarh, and is part of the Bhilai agglomeration. Durg lies about 11 km from Bhilai and 35 km from the state capital Raipur. It is the headquarters of Durg District, the second largest district of Chattisgarh. It is a populous District of Chattisgarh. It occupies the southwestern part of the Chattisgarh plain and possesses belts of hilly country in the south, southwest, and northwest.

As of 2001 Indian census, Durg had a population of 231,182. The people of Durg have a great tendency towards adopting new trends and lifestyles. Durg people are also known for their simplicity, kind heartedness and adaptability, and this is the culture of Durg. People of this region are very fond of colors. The dresses they wear are very colorful.

Durg is rich in its cultural heritage. It has its own dance styles, cuisine, and music. Gond, Kanver, Uraon, Korva, Kol, Bhariya, Binjhwar, Sawar, Dhanwar, Madiya and many scheduled tribes are found in Durg. People of Durg celebrate dance, music, marriage and other cultural festivals like Navakhani, Ganga Dushhara, Sarhul Chherka, Dushara, Dipawali, Karma & Kartika. Our Great Commission works are mainly centered in the Durg District. Our ultimate concern is to direct these varied people groups, who are superstitious in their faith practices, toward the love of God through His Son, Jesus of Nazareth. The people groups of these provinces, who are primarily scheduled castes/tribes, Dalits, and Tribals, are longing for a relevant paradigm to alter themselves from the clutches of sin, Satan, and eternal damnation. The Gospel message is really a paradigm for them.

For More Details Visit the Following Links:

(1) http://www.cbmphoto.co.uk/Frame.html

(2) http://www.cbmphoto.co.uk/saris/phsariMP.html

(3) http://www.chhattisgarh.gov.in

(4) http://www.durg.nic.in

                                           -Johnson Thomaskutty

 

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5807 I-10 West
SAN ANTONIO, TX 78201

ph: 210-525-9954