People group profile · PG041428
The Jalia Kaibarta of India
The Jalia Kaibarta of India, numbering about 1,345,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Scheduled Caste fishing community of West Bengal and Tripura, also known as Jele or Jalia, whose name derives from jal, meaning net or water. They traditionally fished and wove nets and are Hindu.
They are an indigenous people in the Mallah people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Folk Hinduism, and they primarily speak Bengali.
Fast facts
- Country
- India
- Population
- 1,345,000
- Affinity group
- South Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Mallah
- Primary language
- Bengali (ben)
- Primary religion
- Folk Hinduism
- Strategic Progress Index ?
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC ?
- Less than 2% Evangelical, Concentrated CP Activity
- Lostness priority ?
- Expanding Unreached People Group
- Region
- Southern Asia, Asia
- Location
- West Bengal (statewide); also Tripura: West Tripura district
Where they live
Gospel status
The Jalia Kaibarta are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical but there has been initial or concentrated church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years Concentrated Church Planting
Next steps for the Jalia Kaibarta
- Continue prayer and fasting for this group
- Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
- Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people
Primary religion
Folk Hinduism · Hinduism
99% adherents
Primary language
Bengali · Indo-European family
100% speak Bengali
Gospel resources in Bengali
- Bible available
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories available
Films
- JESUS (Bangla)
- JESUS (Bangla Muslim)
- JESUS (Bengali (Indian))
- JESUS (Bangla)
- JESUS (Bangla Muslim)
- JESUS (Bengali (Indian))
- Magdalena (Bengali (Indian))
- Magdalena (Bangla Muslim)
- The Savior (Bengali (Indian))
Bibles
- Common Language Version · video, audio, text
- Mussolmani · video, audio
- Re-edit Bangla Version · audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Jalia Kaibarta
- Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
- 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
- Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
- Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
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