Introduction / History

Hiralal's face turned red with rage. His son had just asked him to seek a marriage agreement with the daughter of Mr. Sandeep Gupta. Ordinarily this would have been a joyful time. He would proudly arrange the meeting and begin the process leading to a wedding.
Hiralal's family runs a successful business near Delhi. The Guptas also have their own lucrative enterprise. But Hiralal is from the Agrahari people. The Guptas are from the Agarwals. Centuries ago the two groups were joined in the same caste. At some point a disagreement arose. No one remembers the cause, but now each group avoids the other. No one seems able to bring reconciliation between the two communities.

What Are Their Needs?

Any efforts to bring the message of Jesus to the Agraharis must remain sensitive to the differences between the Agrawals and the Agrahari groups. It is not enough to be sensitive to Hindu culture. The evangelist must respect the specific distinctions of the different groups.

Prayer Points

* Pray that the Holy Spirit will win some from each of these two groups and use them to bring peace and reconciliation that will draw others to the Prince of Peace.
* Pray that the Lord of the harvest will send believers from the Agrahari group to reap souls from their own people.
*Pray that the Holy Spirit will stir a hunger and thirst for a righteousness that can only come from the true God of the universe.

References

Some information from "The Scheduled Castes" K. S. Singh, ed. Oxford University Press, USA (1994)