Sikh Valmiki in India


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Other / Small (Sikhism)
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge
* Data can be from various sources including official census, agencies, and local research. Data from these sources can sometimes differ even by orders of magnitude. Joshua Project attempts to present a conservative, balanced estimate.

Introduction / History

The Valmiki are also called Balmiki. They are a caste of street sweepers with low status.


What Are Their Lives Like?

In India Valmiki people face discrimination from a young age. At school their children are given derisive names. They are treated like they cannot learn by public school teachers. Those who work in parks clean things up, then take a stroll in the park only to be told to leave either by high caste members or by the police. If they resist, the police will beat them. Valmiki women are sexually abused by high caste men. There is nothing they can do about it.
Since the root of these problems is in the Hindu based caste system, some Valmiki have changed to a different religion. Most commonly they become Buddhist, but others have adopted Islam or Sikhism. Those who became Sikhs were once used by the British colonialists as a military force.


What Are Their Beliefs?

Sikhism originated from a 15th century teacher named Guru Nanak Dev as a reform movement. He rejected the Hindu caste system, taught that all people were equal and that all have equal access to God. The Sikh God is formless, without gender and is to be found in everyone. One gets closer to God by living a good life and by practicing charity. Like Hindus, Sikhs believe in reincarnation and the law of karma; you reap what you sow in your previous life. Like Muslims, the Sikhs worship only one God.
One may recognize a Sikh man by his distinctive turban. All the 10 great Sikh gurus wore turbans. Sikh teaching mandates that a person not cut his or her hair. They worship their holy book, the Granth Sahib, which is a collection of hymns.
There are roughly the same number of Sikhs as there are Jews in the world, but Sikhs are most concentrated in Punjab, their homeland. However, you will find smaller numbers of Sikhs all over the world. Many of the best Indian restaurants in the West are owned and operated by Sikhs.


What Are Their Needs?

The Valmiki people need to put their trust and identity in the hands of the loving God of Creation who sent his son to make it possible for them to enter the Kingdom of God.


Prayer Points

Pray for the Sikh Valmiki people to have the justice they need.
Pray for them to find their identity and sense of worth in the God who gave them life, and the savior who offers them life to the full.
Pray for a "Book of Acts" type of movement to Christ among the Sikh Valmiki.
Pray God will have mercy on the Valmiki, doing whatever it takes to place them in a position to receive him.
Ask God to open the hearts of the Sikh Valmiki to the gospel.


Scripture Prayers for the Valmiki (Sikh traditions) in India.


References

https://www.allaboutsikhs.com/sikh-way-of-life/sects-and-cults/balmiki/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_ZiGyCwLSY
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valmiki_caste


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Valmiki (Sikh traditions)
People Name in Country Valmiki (Sikh traditions)
Natural Name Sikh Valmiki
Pronunciation wahl-MEE-kee
Alternate Names Balmik; Balmiki; Bhangi; Hair; Hari; Mehtar; Mehtor
Population this Country 276,000
Population all Countries 276,000
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
Pioneer Workers Needed 6
PeopleID3 22350
ROP3 Code 119349
Country India
Region Asia, South
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 11  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Total States on file 14
Largest States
Punjab
264,000
Haryana
5,200
Chandigarh
2,300
Uttar Pradesh
1,600
Rajasthan
900
Chhattisgarh
400
Madhya Pradesh
300
Jharkhand
300
Uttarakhand
200
Maharashtra
200
Himachal Pradesh
200
Jammu and Kashmir
90
Delhi
60
Gujarat
10
Districts Interactive map, listing and data download
Specialized Website South Asia Peoples
Country India
Region Asia, South
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 11  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Total States 14
  Punjab 264,000
  Haryana 5,200
  Chandigarh 2,300
  Uttar Pradesh 1,600
  Rajasthan 900
  Chhattisgarh 400
  Madhya Pradesh 300
  Jharkhand 300
  Uttarakhand 200
  Maharashtra 200
  Himachal Pradesh 200
  Jammu and Kashmir 90
  Delhi 60
  Gujarat 10
Website South Asia Peoples
Primary Religion: Other / Small (Sikhism)
Major Religion Percent *
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.00 %)
0.00 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
100.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
* From latest India census data.
Current Christian values may substantially differ.
Primary Language Punjabi, Eastern (180,000 speakers)
Language Code pan   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 23
Secondary Languages
(only 15 largest shown)
Hindi
57,000
Haryanvi
700
Chhattisgarhi
200
Marwari (India)
80
Wagdi
70
Marathi
50
Kanauji
50
Garhwali
40
Dhundari
40
Pahari, Mahasu
40
Gujarati
30
Haroti
20
Dogri
10
Braj Bhasha
10
Bundeli
10
Primary Language Punjabi, Eastern (180,000 speakers)
Language Code pan   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 23
Secondary Languages (only 15 largest shown)
  Hindi 57,000
  Haryanvi 700
  Chhattisgarhi 200
  Marwari (India) 80
  Wagdi 70
  Marathi 50
  Kanauji 50
  Garhwali 40
  Dhundari 40
  Pahari, Mahasu 40
  Gujarati 30
  Haroti 20
  Dogri 10
  Braj Bhasha 10
  Bundeli 10
People Groups Speaking Punjabi, Eastern

Primary Language:  Punjabi, Eastern

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1818-1954)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1815-2011)
Bible-Complete Yes  (1959-2021)
FCBH NT (www.bible.is) Online
YouVersion NT (www.bible.com) Online
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Amazon
World Bibles
Forum Bible Agencies
National Bible Societies
World Bible Finder
Virtual Storehouse
Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Audio Recordings DAVAR Partners recording, complete Bible DAVAR Partners International
Audio Recordings Online Audio Scripture Talking Bibles
Audio Recordings Recorded oral Bible Oral Bibles
Film / Video Following Jesus video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video God's Story video God's Story
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Punjabi, Eastern Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Magdalena video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Story of Jesus for Children Jesus Film Project
General Bible for Children Bible for Children
General Bible in text or audio or video Internet Publishing Sevice
General Bible in text or audio or video South Asia Bibles
General Biblical answers to your questions Got Questions Ministry
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Four Spiritual Laws Cru
General Scripture Earth Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
General YouVersion Bible versions in text and/or audio YouVersion Bibles
General Zume Resources Zume Project
General Zume Training Zume Project
Mobile App Android Bible app direct APK download SIL
Mobile App Android Bible App: Punjabi Bible (ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਬਾਈਬਲ) Indian Revised Version (IRV) Operation Agape
Mobile App Android Bible app: Punjabi, Eastern YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Android Bible Radio app: Punjabi Bible Radio Shalom Design S2dio
Mobile App Android Book Reading app: Open Bible Stories (Punjabi) Shalom Design S2dio
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Punjabi, Eastern YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App iOS Bible Radio App: Punjabi Bible Radio iOS Revive India
Text / Printed Matter Children and youth resources One Hope
Text / Printed Matter Download scripture in this language eBible.org
Text / Printed Matter Literacy primer for Punjabi, Eastern Literacy & Evangelism International
Text / Printed Matter Tools for faith conversations Cru
Text / Printed Matter Topical Scripture booklets and Bible studies World Missionary Press
Photo Source Sarbjitsinghrockybalmiki - Wikimedia  Creative Commons 
Map Source People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project  
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.


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