25-30 Lakh People Converted In Punjab: Rajya Sabha MP Vikramjit Sahney

A claim that 25 to 30 lakh people have been converted in Punjab has brought the contentious issue of religious conversion back into focus, with Rajya Sabha MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney saying Sikh religious institutions also need to introspect over their failure to address the issue.

Speaking at the Punjab Chintan Baithak in Amritsar, attended by more than 40 saints and religious figures from across Punjab, Sahney claimed that around 25 to 30 lakh people had converted to Christianity in the state. The figure was not accompanied by any official data source.

Sahney said alleged conversions were being driven by factors including superstition, claims of miraculous cures, treatment of illnesses, and various forms of inducement, particularly exploiting the vulnerabilities of people facing social and economic difficulties.

Speaking to NDTV, Sahney said institutions including the SGPC, Khalsa Diwan and other Sikh religious bodies had failed to effectively curb the practice. He said the institutions needed to introspect and understand why sections of the community were becoming vulnerable to such outreach.

The issue had already become a political talking point earlier this year. Addressing a BJP rally in Moga in March, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said religious conversions had reached alarming levels under the AAP government and promised that if the BJP formed the government in Punjab, its first Bill would be aimed at banning religious conversions.

Sahney, however, also faced questions over the BJP's record on the drug crisis, given that the party was part of the Akali Dal-BJP government in Punjab between 2007 and 2017.

Asked about the BJP's responsibility for the drug situation during that period, Sahney told NDTV, "We were not in the driving seat during that period. Also, the drug situation has worsened in the last five years in Punjab."

The drug crisis was another major focus of the Punjab Chintan Baithak. Sahney claimed that more than 30 lakh young people in Punjab were affected by drugs in some form and said enforcement alone could not resolve the problem.

He called for greater emphasis on rehabilitation, education, skill development, and employment, while proposing that religious institutions play a larger role in helping young people rebuild their lives.

The meeting also discussed caste discrimination and social exclusion, with Sahney pointing to instances of separate gurdwaras and cremation grounds for certain communities. He said eliminating such discrimination was essential to preventing alienation among marginalised sections.

The meeting resolved to expand the Shiksha Langar initiative, focusing on higher education, fee assistance, skill training, and employment opportunities for needy and marginalised youth.

The claims and counterclaims have now placed religious conversion alongside drugs and social discrimination as major issues in Punjab's political and social debate, with Sahney calling for both governments and religious institutions to examine the factors behind these concerns.