Worrisome numbers have come to the fore from a study conducted in Punjab on religious conversion. As per a study, in just 1.5 years, more than 3 lakh 50 thousand people have converted to Christianity. Conversion in villages is increasing at a rapid pace as compared to cities. This claim has been made by Sikh scholar and researcher PhD Dr. Ranbir Singh based on a survey.
Dr. Ranbir Singh, who conducted the study, stated, “Our research found that in the last 1.5 years, 3.5 lakh Sikhs have embraced Christianity. They have changed their names but continue to wear turbans. These figures are derived from an extensive survey conducted across 12,000 villages in Punjab.”
Dr. Singh also mentioned that the official data differs significantly from their findings. While government records indicate lower numbers, his study found that the percentage of Christians in Punjab has increased from 2% in 2011 to 15% in recent years. He emphasized that many of these conversions were driven by fear or coercion.
In the year 2023-24, one and a half lakh people converted, while by the end of the year 2024-25, two lakh people changed their religion. According to the census conducted in the year 2011, out of the total population of 2.77 crore in Punjab, 1.26 percent were from the Christian community, that is, 3.50 lakh people were from this community.
Rapid increase in Tarn Taran
As per reports, the population of the Christian community in the Tarn Taran district was 6,137 in 2011, which increased to 12,436 in the year 2021, i.e. an increase of 102 percent in ten years. Talking about Gurdaspur district alone, the population of this community has increased by more than four lakhs in the last five years. Dr. Ranbir said that the Christian community is getting funding from America, Pakistan, and other countries for conversion. The highest number of conversions has been reported in the Gurdaspur district.
How people in Punjab are getting converted to Christianity?
Dr. Ranbir further said that in the changing times, the method of conversion has changed by giving various temptations. First of all, people of Hindu, Sikh, or Muslim communities are reached and brought to the church. They are assured of solving their problems through the 'miracle of Lord Jesus'.
After bringing them to the church through prayer meetings and other means, the needy are asked to write their problems or sufferings in an envelope and put it in the box of the church. After getting the details of the problems, every problem of the complainant is studied in detail.
The villages or areas from which more problems are received are adopted by the pastor. After adoption, the process of solving the problems of each person starts. The children of the person who needs free education are given free admission to schools.
The person who needs financial help is given monthly financial help. The pastor takes up the responsibility of solving the financial problems of their relatives. Similarly, clothes, ration, and cash are also provided every month.
Manjeet Singh Bhoma, a leader of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, stressed the importance of collaborative efforts to address this issue. “We are working with the SGPC to curb these conversions. The SGPC must take proactive steps, such as opening more schools and hospitals for underprivileged children, to prevent such incidents in the future,” he said.