Christianity is the largest religion in the Northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh , which borders China. According to the census of 2011 Christians constitute 30.26% of the state's population. [1] The Roman Catholic Church is the largest Christian denomination in the state with around 180,000 adherents. [2] The Arunachal Baptist Church Council is the second largest denomination with 150,000 baptized members in about 1,200 churches [3] and Arunachal Pradesh Christian Revival Church Council (APCRCC) which was started in 1987 at Naharlagun also growing fast.
The state belongs to the area of the diocese of North East India of the Church of North India. [4] The Roman Catholic Diocese of Itanagar and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Miao have their seat in the state. The state is an area of rapid growth of Roman Catholicism in recent years. [5]
Among the Christians in the state there is a literacy rate higher than the rate in the state population at large. [6]
Christian missionary activity is not allowed in Arunachal Pradesh. Arunachal has prohibited bribery or coercion for conversion since 1978, but there is no record of coerced conversions and no one has been brought to trial under the law. [7]
Year | Number | Percentage |
---|---|---|
2001 [8] | 205,548 | 18.72 |
2011 [9] | 418,732 | 30.26 |
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1971 | 3,684 | — |
1981 | 27,306 | +641.2% |
1991 | 89,013 | +226.0% |
2001 | 205,548 | +130.9% |
2011 | 418,732 | +103.7% |
Source: census of India |
Percentage of Christians in Arunachal Pradesh by decades [10]
Year | Percent | Increase |
---|---|---|
1971 | 0.79% | - |
1981 | 4.32% | +3.53% |
1991 | 10.3% | +5.98% |
2001 | 18.72% | +8.42% |
2011 | 30.26% | +11.54% |
Percentage of Christians in the Scheduled Tribes [11]
Tribe | Christians | Percent |
---|---|---|
Nyishi | 180,609 | 63.3% |
Adi | 65,691 | 27.60% |
Wancho | 54,165 | 95.22% |
Nocte | 23,093 | 66.62% |
Tangsa | 21,291 | 58.95% |
Apatani | 9,513 | 21.73% |
Tagin | 7,634 | 12.13% |
Miji | 3,419 | 42.07% |
Yobin | 2,965 | 99.03% |
Aka | 2,788 | 34.38% |
Sulung | 2,085 | 46.14% |
Mishmi | 1,864 | 4.24% |
Arunachal Pradesh is a state in northeast India. It was formed from the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) region, and India declared it as a state on 20 February 1987. Itanagar is its capital and largest town. It borders the Indian states of Assam and Nagaland to the south. It shares international borders with Bhutan in the west, Myanmar in the east, and a disputed 1,129 km border with China's Tibet Autonomous Region in the north at the McMahon Line. Arunachal Pradesh is claimed in its entirety by China as South Tibet as part of the Tibet Autonomous Region; China occupied some regions of Arunachal Pradesh in 1962 but later withdrew its forces.
Owing to its ethnic and cultural diversity, religion in Arunachal Pradesh has been a spot for the syncretism of different traditional religions. Much of the native Tani populations follow an indigenous belief which has been systematised under the banner "Donyi-Polo" (Sun-Moon) since the spread of Christianity in the region by Christian missionaries in the second half of the 20th century. The province is also home to a substantial Tibetan Buddhist population in the north and northwest who follow Tibetan Buddhism, of ethnic groups who subscribe to Hinduism, and other religious populations. Christianity is followed by over 30.26% of the population, mostly by natives.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Itanagar in India was created on 7 December 2005 by splitting it from the Diocese of Tezpur. It is a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Guwahati. Its first bishop was John Thomas Kattrukudiyil. The St. Joseph's church in Itanagar is the cathedral of the diocese.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Miao is a diocese in the ecclesiastical province of Guwahati. It is located in Miao in India.
Followers of Christianity are a significant minority in Odisha state of India. According to the 2011 Census, Christians make up about 2.77% of the population. Kurukh, Sora, Kharia and Panos are notable ethnic groups with a significant Christian population.
Christianity is a minority religion within Karnataka, a state of India. Mangalorean Catholics are a community of centuries, though there also are Mangalorean Protestants.
Christianity in West Bengal, India, is a minority religion. According to the 2011 census of India, there were 658,618 Christians in West Bengal, or 0.72% of the population. Although Mother Teresa worked in Kolkata (Calcutta), Christianity is a minority religion in Kolkata as well. West Bengal has the highest number of Bengali Christians. Bengali Christians have been established since the 16th century with the advent of the Portuguese in Bengal. Later in the 19th and 20th centuries, many upper-class Bengalis converted to Christianity during the Bengali Renaissance under British rule, including Krishna Mohan Banerjee, Michael Madhusudan Dutt, Anil Kumar Gain, and Gnanendramohan Tagore. Aurobindo Nath Mukherjee was the first Indian to be Anglican Bishop of Calcutta.
Christianity is a minority religion in Delhi, the National Capital Territory of India. A diocese of the Church of North India is established in Delhi, as well as the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Delhi. Other major churches include the Central Baptist Church, St. Mary's Orthodox Cathedral Hauz Khas, and the head office of the Northern Region of the Indian Pentecostal Church of God. A Christian Revival Church is also located in New Delhi. The Syro-Malabar Diocese of Faridabad also has presence in Delhi.
Christianity is one of the religions in Tripura, a state in North East India. According to the Indian Census 2011, the population of Christians in Tripura is 159,882 or 4.35% of the total population. Christians are mostly found among the indigenous communities of the state such as the Tripuri, Lushai, Kuki, Darlong, Halam etc. Among the Scheduled Tribes of the state Christians share is 13.12% of the population.
Christianity is the third largest religion in Assam, a state in the north-eastern region of India. The total population of Christians in the state is 1,165,867, which according to the 2011 census comprises about 3.75% of the state's total population. After Islam, Christianity is also the second-fastest growing religion of Assam. The largest concentration of Christians in Assam can be found in the Dima Hasao District, where Christians number approximately 30% of the population. The second largest concentration is in the Karbi Anglong district where they form approximately 16.5% of the population.
Christianity is the fastest growing and second most followed religion in Manipur, a state in Northeast India, according to 2011 census data of India.
Christianity is a minority religion in Uttar Pradesh, the largest state of India. The Christians of Uttar Pradesh come under the territory of Lucknow and Agra Diocese of Church of North India and of the Archdiocese of Agra. The Uttar Pradesh Christian Revival Church (UPCRC) was established in 2017 as a part of the Christian Revival Church.
Christianity is practiced by 0.5% of the population of the state of Gujarat in India. The French or Catalan Dominican missionary; Jordan de Catalani was the first European missionary to start conversions to the Latin Church in India. He arrived at Surat in 1320 before proceeding onto the Konkan region for his mission. The Portuguese in Goa and Bombay controlled the areas of Damaon territory for more than four centuries; they brought more Catholic Christianity with them, into the neighbouring Guzerat Subah of the Moghal Empire.
Christianity is a minority religion in Madhya Pradesh, a state of India. Hindus form the majority in the state.There are many Pentecostal denominations such as Assemblies of God in India,India Pentecostal Church of God are present in the state.The Dioceses of Bhopal and of Jabalpur of the Church of North India have their seats in Madhya Pradesh. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bhopal, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gwalior, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Indore, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jabalpur, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jhabua, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Khandwa, the Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Sagar the Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Satna and the Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Ujjain have their seat in the state. The Presbyterian Free Church, which is a member of the International Conference of Reformed Churches has its seat in the state. Jabalpur has Christ Church Boys Senior Secondary School.
New Palin is a town in the Kra Daadi district of Arunachal Pradesh and camp office of the district Administration of Kra Daadi district. Inhabited by Nyishi tribe, it is the largest town of the Kra Daadi District. It is located at Latitude 28.15285, Longitude 94.12288. It has a population of 9896 as per 2011 census.
The largest religion in the Nagaland state of India is Christianity. According to the 2011 census, the state's population was 1,978,502, out of which 87.93% are Christians. Along with Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, and Mizoram, Nagaland is one of the four Christian-majority states in the country.
Evangelization of Meghalaya began in the 19th century during the British era. In the 1830s, American Baptist Foreign Missionary Society had become active in Northeast to evangelize indigenous tribes to Christianity. Later, they were offered to expand and reach into Sohra Meghalaya, but they lacked the resources to do so and declined. Welsh Presbyterian Mission took the offer and they began work at Sohra mission field. By the early 1900s, other Protestant denominations of Christianity were active in Meghalaya. The outbreak of World Wars forced the preachers to return home to Europe and America. It is during this period that Catholicism took root in Meghalaya and neighbouring region. Currently, Catholics, Presbyterians and Baptists are three most common Christian denominations found in Meghalaya.
Christianity is the largest religion in Mizoram. The majority 87% of Mizoram population are Christian in various denominations, predominantly Presbyterian. More than 98% of the Mizos are Christians by faith. The Government of Mizoram declared that Christianity plays a very important role among the daily life of Mizo community and therefore further declared that Christianity as the religion of the state. The culture of Mizoram is mainly influenced by Christianity. Hence, Christianity was given a special status on the state by the government while maintaining a minimum level of secular environment and approach. In June 2018, the government of Mizoram including Vanlalruata, president of anti-corruption organisation-turned-political party, People's Representation for Identity and Status of Mizoram claim that Mizoram is a Christian state. Hindus form a small minority (3.55%) mainly of Manipuris and there are also around (7.93%) Buddhists according to the 2001 census, mostly made up from Chakma settlers of Arakan origin. There are about 8,000 mostly ethnic Mizo followers of a Judaic group Bnei Menashe, who claim descent from the biblical Menasseh. Muslims make up about 1.1% of the state population.
The Arunachal Baptist Church Council (ABCC) is an association of Baptist Christian churches in the state of Arunachal Pradesh in North East India. ABCC is led by Mr. John Padung, President, and Rev. Adv. Tugaso Manyu, General Secretary. The convention has its office at Naharlagun, Papum Pare District. It is affiliated with the Council of Baptist Churches in Northeast India and the Asia Pacific Baptist Federation.
For in several Indian federal states - in 1978 in Arunachal Pradesh, in 2003 in Gujarat, in 2006 in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and in 2007 in Himachal Pradesh - bills were passed which make conversions that happened by force or by material benefits punishable. So far, however, not a single case has been brought before the courts.