Historical Background

The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world, goes back at least 5,000 years. Aryan tribes from the northwest invaded about 1500 B.C.; their merger with the earlier inhabitants created the classical Indian culture. Arab incursions starting in the 8th century and Turkish in 12th were followed by European traders beginning in the late 15th century. By the 19th century, Britain had assumed political control of virtually all Indian lands.  Non-violent resistance to British colonialism under Mohandas Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru led to independence in 1947. The subcontinent was divided into the secular state of India and the smaller Muslim state of Pakistan. A third war between the two countries in 1971 resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. Fundamental concerns in India include the ongoing dispute with Pakistan over Kashmir, massive overpopulation, environmental degradation, extensive poverty, and ethnic and religious strife, all this despite impressive gains in economic investment and output.

• Area:  total: 3,287,590 sq km. land: 2,973,190 sq km water: 314,400 sq km
• Climate:  varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north
• Population:  1,045,845,226 (July 2002 est.)
• Population growth rate:  1.51% (2002 est.)
• Birth rate:  23.79 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
• Death rate:  8.62 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
• Infant mortality rate:  61.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
• Life expectancy at birth:   63.93 years (2002 est.)  male
• HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:  0.7% (1999 est.)
• HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:  3.7 million (1999 est.)

Religions:  Hindu 81.3%, Muslim 12%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other groups including Buddhist, Jain, Parsi 2.5% (2000)

Languages:  English enjoys associate status but is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication; Hindu is the national language and primary tongue of 30% of the people; there are 14 other official languages: Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit; Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout northern India but is not an official language

Literacy:  (definition: age 15 and over can read and write) total population: 52%. male: 65.5%. female: 37.7% (1995 est.)

GDP - per capita:  purchasing power parity - $2,500 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:  agriculture: 25% industry: 26% services: 49% (2001)

Population below poverty line:  25% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate:  4.4% (1999)

More Country Information

History of Mennonites in India

	M. B. Medical Centre, Jadcherla, Andra Pradesh, India
	Opened in 1952 by M. B. Mission Board, run independently by the Indian MB conference and Dr PB Arnold, a general surgeon, over the last 30 yrs.
	Medical Superintendent:  Dr. PB Arnold
	Pioneering medical missionaries : Dr. and Mrs. Jake Friesen, Reedley, California and Dr. and Mrs. George Froese, Winnipeg, Manitoba

IMHA in Jadcherla, India

	Dr. PB Arnold travels to North America summer 1999 asking for help with hospital redevelopment.
	Feasibility study conducted in India by Dr. Rick Hamm and Dr. Tom Klein, February 2000.
	Working relationship established with supporting organization MBMSInternational, some start up funds.
	Doug Cressman, a hospital administrator from Winnipeg Manitoba, appointed in 2001 to work at Jadcherla leading the redevelopment process.
	Ground work completed to date: Summer of 2001 Doug Cressman spends several weeks of orientation in Jadcherla, India. Fall of 2001 Doug completes missions orientation course in Fresno, CA. IMHA inaugural board meeting in Denver, Colorado October 2001. Second annual meeting November 2002 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Strategic plan for hospital redevelopment in progress. Doug Cressman leaves for 3 years in India April ’02. Back in Canada for visa reasons fall of 2002. IMHA Executive begins work. Partnership Agreement reached between the Indian conference / MB. Medical Centre and IMHA Sept ’02.