Karnataka: Wired for the 21st Century!

by Keith Carey

Karnataka means "lofty land," a name which is appropriate in a number of ways. Much of Karnataka has a higher elevation than neighboring states, which gives it a moderate climate by South Indian standards. But it is also lofty in that it has high aspirations. Gujarat may be India's business capital, West Bengal may be her cultural capital, but Karnataka is her technical capital. For this reason, Karnataka will be the state to look to in the future. We will delve into this later, but first, let's go into a brief history of this state.

Karnataka's History
The mighty Mauran Empire ruled Karnataka in the 4th century B.C. About 30 B.C., the Satavahana dynasty came to power, and ruled this land for the next 300 years. Karnataka changed hands a number of times for the next 11 centuries. Then in the 14th century, Karnataka became part of the Vijayanagar Empire, which was a time of glory and prosperity. In 1565, this empire was destroyed in the Battle of Talikota by Muslim sultans. This region changed hands a couple more times until 1799 when the British took control of Mysore, Karnataka's business hub. The British remained in ultimate control until India's independence on August 15, 1947. The boundaries were re-drawn with linguistics in mind in 1956. In 1972 or 1973 they renamed it Karnataka. The formation of this state was a dream come true for those who speak Kannada. At last, they had their own state with their own language. Today, two-thirds of the people in this state speak Kannada.

Bangalore: India's Education, Science and Technology Center
Education, science, and technology gravitate to Karnataka. In 1909 Karnataka established her first science and technology university. The 1960s saw many more institutions for science and technology established. Bangalore temporarily became home to many multinational corporations. In 1977, India's socialist government tried to put limits on multinational corporations so that domestic industries could flourish. Coca-Cola and IBM were required to share their trade secrets and best technology. Many of these corporations left India at that time. It wasn't until 1991 before the Indian government changed its policies to draw multinational corporations back in the country. Because of her pleasant climate and well-educated public, Karnataka is a favorite destination for international corporations.

Today, Bangalore has the largest number of engineering colleges of any city in the world. They also have 181 polytechnic institutions according to a March, 2002 article in Business World. These institutions of higher learning have helped India move forward at an impressive pace. Yet some of India's leading tech industrialists note that the educational system limits much-needed creativity.

As for computer manufacturing, Karnataka is far from leading the world. But they have produced many software writers who are developing India's tech industry....and the tech industry of the United States. Many of the Bangalore-trained techies work in California's Silicon Valley and the emerging Tri-cities of North Carolina. They get trained in Bangalore and use their skills in San Jose, CA and Raleigh, NC. There should be opportunities for them to hear the gospel when they come to the West.

Karnataka's Spiritual State
The peoples who make up Karnataka have had the chance to hear of Jesus for hundreds of years. According to India Mission Association, the Jesuits came to Karnataka in 1552. Francis Xavier led these efforts. Early Protestant efforts include the London Missionary Society, Basel Mission, and the Methodists. Though few may remember it now, these missionary efforts helped improve the economic and educational well being of the people in Karnataka by helping them to develop industries.

Of the four south Indian states, Karnataka, has by far the lowest percentage of Christians. Only two percent of the people there are Christians. Two-thirds of these are Roman Catholic. Almost 12 percent of the people of Karnataka are Muslim, and few of these have responded to the gospel. According to Operation World, almost all people groups in Karnataka are unreached. Eighty percent of Karnataka's pincodes (zip code areas) are without a resident Christian worker.

About one-fifth of Karnataka's 56 million people are Lingayats. This group is economically and politically powerful. Like most peoples of India that fall into this category, they are resistant to the gospel. The Lingayats have some powerful spiritual baggage that keeps them away from Christ's Kingdom. Though some would debate whether or not the Lingayats are Hindu, they worship the Hindu god of destruction, Siva. A second spiritual impediment is their confidence in the lingam, a symbol of Siva, which they keep on their bodies at all times. Devout Lingayats believe that to lose their lingam means spiritual death, which can only be overcome by having a new one made by a craftsman and blessed by their guru. They are well-respected in Hindu communities. A good Lingayat will eat a strict vegetarian diet and abstain from alcohol. Fortunately, Operation Mobilization-India (OM India) has an excellent work among the Lingayats, run by a Lingayat convert. You will pray for this group on day 21.

Bangalore is also home to over 100 Christian organizations, which potentially could reach this state for Christ. We will pray this month that these Christian organizations will help the peoples who make up Karnataka to meet their true Savior.

Let's Pray!

• Pray that the 100 Christian organizations in Bangalore will faithfully pray and reach out to the peoples who make up this outstanding part of India.
• Pray for a spiritual breakthrough among the Lingayats. Pray that the power of God will overcome all spiritual forces that are keeping them away from His eternal blessings.
• Pray for efforts by OM India workers to bless the Lingayats with His truth.
• There are between two and three million Brahmins in Karnataka. Pray that many of these will have a radical spiritual encounter with Jesus that will prompt them to lead the Hindu population to Him.
• Pray that Muslim peoples of Karnataka will respond to Jesus.