Get to Know
South Asia
South asia has The Highest concentration of unreached people groups in the world
South Asia consists of 8 countries with a total population of 1.98 Billion (2022).
The countries include :
o Afghanistan (41M)
o Bangladesh (168M)
o India (1,400M)
o Iran (86M)
o Maldives (0.5M)
o Nepal (30M)
o Pakistan (228M)
o Sri Lanka (22M)
Of the 2,700+ people groups, 2,443 (89.9%) are unreached
Language
Language isn’t just a method of communication but a passport to South Asian culture.
780 dialects and official languages without a common root make understanding difficult
Speaking English is an increasingly popular way to improve your quality of life, but it is not spoken by millions of people in South Asia
The average time it takes for a foreigner to reach native-like fluency in a South Asian language is over a decade
Culture
Much more than in the West, your identity in South Asia is deeply rooted in your culture
Many South Asian cultures are group-based. Major life decisions are discussed and planned by the collective rather than by the individual
Your network is your lifeblood because it’s by who you know that you are assigned your status in the culture
In South Asia, there is a large focus on shame and honour while in the West, we focus on guilt and innocence. Maintaining family honour is a high priority
Religion
Official religions in this part of the world include Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Jains, Sikhs, and Christians
Islam is the majority faith for many South Asian nations, and over 200 million Muslims make up the largest minority religion in India
Christianity is viewed by South Asians as a “Western” religion, where accepting Jesus requires that you forfeit your cultural identity
Hinduism, the official and predominant religion of India, is said to be the oldest religion in the world
Persecution
In countries where majority religions define the culture, persecution of minorities is a common and concerning phenomenon
In India, the current government has publicly expressed its desire to make India a Hindu nation
Pakistan is a 95% Islamic nation, with many extremists lynching Christians or forcibly marrying young Christian women to Muslim men
Persecution is common for many who have the “wrong” skin colour, family name, caste, religion, or traditions
Food
Compared to the West, the variety, flavour, and meaning of food in South Asian cuisine is monumental
Compared to the West, the variety, flavour, and meaning of food in South Asian cuisine is vast and incredibly important
South Asians put a higher value on sharing a meal. It is considered a powerful way of connecting with someone and accepting their culture
South Asians have an inherent understanding of the properties, benefits, and medicinal qualities of foods that can’t be translated into Western thinking
Caste
A caste is a centuries-old system central to India that assigns you a community by birth
The Dalits (a word that means “oppressed) are the lowest social caste. 200 million Dalits live in India
The Brahmin, or priestly caste, occupies the majority of the influential positions, making equal representation among the castes an impossibility
Marrying or working outside of your caste in rural India can mean ostracization from your family, or in some cases, death