According to a census 14 years ago, Punjab had a Sikh population of about 57%, Hindus at 38.5%, and Christians less than 1.5%. Now, those adhering to Christianity have soared above 15%. Interestingly, these new adherents haven’t changed their official records yet.
There's a looming fear that this region might empty of Sikhs in a few decades!
Are those working on faith unaware, or is there something so alluring from the other side drawing people towards it?
Around the year 2000, a distinct branch of Christianity started making its way from Canada and the U.S. into Punjab, breaking through the doors and establishing presence within. Allegedly, a large segment has now moved from Sikhism to Pentecostal churches and ministries. Through past investigations by aajtak.in, we've uncovered layer by layer how this network operates and its subtle dominance.
While Muslim conversions in the country stir a ruckus, this subject remains less discussed. Could it be a silent permeation akin to cancer, only noticeable once it ravages the body?
How regular are these checkups! To investigate, we reached out to organizations working to halt conversions in Punjab and consulted legal experts, also visiting Amritpal Singh’s Jallupur Kheda village. Notably, Sikhism return amongst the youth was a promise made by Khadoor Sahib’s MP.
Recently, the topic of Christian conversion saw some discussion, though it has been growing in Punjab since the 19th century. In 1834, American Protestant missionaries began operating from Ludhiana, soon followed by Catholic missionaries under British rule, often targeting Dalit Sikhs.
Free education and healthcare were enticing traps.
Catholic and Protestant missionaries began affiliating Dalits, visible even on the surface, until Swami Dayanand Saraswati founded the Arya Samaj in 1875. Although his goal was to reform Hinduism and return to Vedic principles, a significant aim was to halt Christian and Islamic conversions.
Swami Dayanand wasn’t from Punjab, but his movement quickly spread through the state. Purification ceremonies encouraged those who had changed their religion to return to their Sikh or Hindu roots. Punjab’s prominent leader, Lala Lajpat Rai, was involved, leading to the weakening of Christian conversions in the region.
Amidst freedom struggles, the missionary mission managed to continue, although many leaders had returned to their origins.
The rise of Christian conversions marked a strong return around the year 2000.
Punjabi diaspora settling abroad was a significant factor. Since the 1980s, Punjabi individuals began migrating to Canada and the U.S., where Christianity, particularly the Pentecostal branch, was expanding through faith healing, prophecies, and rituals tailored to suit local flavors.
People returning from abroad began spreading this movement. The state was already unstable during the 1980s-1990s due to separatism and extremism.
In such times, the Pentecostal church's miracles felt like soothing balm on wounds. People connected, and they continued to do so. External funding bolstered the movement. The groundwork was laid, with the primary target being Dalit Sikhs.
Many experts agree that despite claims of equality, Punjab witnesses much inequality. Even cemeteries and Gurdwaras were segregated for religious Sikhs. Economically, they were disadvantaged too. Promising equality and a better life, Pentecostal churches drew communities in.
Within a decade or so after the year 2000, several mass baptisms occurred. Surprisingly, churches emphasized adhering to external cultural identities.
Approximately 32% of the state's population comprises Dalits, including religious Sikhs who’ve predominantly adopted Christ within their families.
The religious belt, renowned for its historic Gurdwaras and adherence to Sikh teachings, also has a significant Dalit population. As this community has been religiously earnest, Pentecostal churches employed varied tactics for assimilation, particularly taking gradual steps.
These churches dub themselves as Jesus’s Temples or Christ's Communal Kitchens, adapting to local sentiments. Here, biblical literature is available in Punjabi and Hindi, even referring to prayers as Ardaas isn’t objectionable. Small steps are paving the way for larger victories, and it’s happening.
Several ministries have emerged across Punjab, led by Sikhs. The followers number in millions. A 24-hour prayer hotline operates, as agile as hospital emergencies.
I witnessed Jalandhar’s Ankur Narula Ministries. Covering 70 or perhaps 100 acres, this mini-empire is led by Pastor Ankur Narula, fondly referred to as Papaji. People are willing to wait months or years just to have him place a hand on their heads for mere seconds. Their church project claims it could rival the world’s largest churches. Construction activity is constant, with workers greeting with “Good news” and “Bless you.”
Communities cluster along the edges of this ministry, akin to settlements by a riverbank.
Elderly spend their last days meaningfully; the young seek new prospects; children are fully immersed in Jesus’s essence. Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday, a fair gathers, with crowds seeking counseling or Papaji’s audience.
The flow of funds to these ministries lacks concrete information.
According to George Soni, President of the Punjab Christians United Front, they earn substantially from devotees.
Fees are charged even for spending moments with the pastor or for lunch. Some sell their own oils and soaps, while others reportedly receive overseas donations. Occasional raids on ministries have disclosed little.
Are the state's leaders oblivious to this issue?
To answer this, we approached several leaders focused on maintaining religious dominance. The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee aims to curb Punjab’s shifting demographics.
Chairman Harmeet Singh Kalka states, “In the past year, we’ve facilitated the homecoming of 1,100 individuals. We’re also setting up awareness camps at schools and colleges. Delhi’s committee is diligently working on this, though primary responsibility lies with the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).”
Kalka believes that the invisibility of converted individuals is a major issue. He says, “If traditional symbols begin disappearing, it will be evident. Churches deliberately avoid tampering with Sikh identities to remain unnoticed. However, think about it—if Guru Vani is removed from a home, how can that child remain Sikh? Unidentifiability is dangerous, and the government ought to provide special packages to promote Sikhism.”
Unidentifiability is akin to a disease spreading silently without symptoms.
In the Panthic belt of Tarn Taran, we encountered followers offering various reasons to retain Sikh identities.
In Goindwal Sahib, Manpreet has a picture of Jesus mounted in her drawing room. In 2022, she and her family began embracing Jesus. On Sikh identity, she asserts, “God transforms lives, not religion… We’ll follow Jesus while remaining Sikh.”
Do you celebrate Gurpurab?
No. We respect the Gurus, yet the peace and reassurance found here eluded us while being there.
Faces like Manpreet’s repeatedly affirm “Jesus transforms minds, not religions,” yet off-paper, their conversions are comprehensive. Khadoor Sahib’s MP and Khalistan supporter Amritpal Singh, who initiated a mission several years ago to bring Sikh youth back, highlights related issues.
Amritpal is currently imprisoned. Seeking to assess the issue’s current standing in his absence, we met his father, Tarsem Singh, managing parliamentary work for now.
Tarsem remarks, “Religious conversion is a personal matter and shouldn't be contentious. However, coercive tactics or enticements are wrong and prevalent. People are being converted under false promises of healing and other enticements.”
In Amritpal’s presence, there was noticeable improvement. Many Sikh and Hindu youths strengthened their ties to their religion, but perhaps the government disapproved and incarcerated Amritpal.
Tarsem Singh criticizes various organizations like the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee for insufficient promotions, leading youths astray. Punjab’s condition resembles tarnished copper, and various reasons account for it. To understand the legal perspective, we sought an expert’s view.
According to Supreme Court advocate Shashank Shekhar Jha, a pervasive Christian conversion mafia is rampant across Punjab, and almost the entire country.
He says, “We lack a central law to halt conversions fueled by false promises. Claiming to cure AIDS is fraudulent. Other beliefs are restricted for irrational claims, but pastors leveraging such deceit face no bans. Conversion tactics abound beyond faith healing, with multiple enticements involved.”
Some states have laws in place, but the absence of a central law incurs costs.
Specifically targeting the backward classes, these entities emphasize retaining identities for a reason. A Scheduled Caste (SC) loses reservation benefits upon changing religion. Conversion mafias entice them, offering participation in Christianity without externally denouncing identities. They’re now known as New Christians, experiencing conversion while enjoying reservations.
A demand emerges for providing reservations to Dalit Christians to enable open religious shifts. The Supreme Court appointed a committee, given three years, to decide whether converted Muslims or Christians should continue receiving Dalit benefits.
