Within days of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal asserting that the Punjab government would not allow “forced conversions,” as was being reported from various parts of the country, the Dharam Jagran Manch organised a “ghar vapsi” function in Amritsar on Tuesday, where 128 people from 23 families, who had earlier adopted Christianity, returned to Sikhism.
However, the chief of the Manch’s Punjab unit, Ram Gopal, denied use of any coercion. He said that these 128 people, originally from the Dalit Majhbi Sikh community, had been repenting their mistake and expressed their desire to return to their Sikh faith.
The function for their reconversion was organised at Gurdwara Shiromani Shaheed Jeevan Singh in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib, while local saints of the Sant Samaj recited scriptures. The Manch also released a statement that Raj Kumar, who after having remained a priest in Christianity, re-converted almost four years ago, said that the missionaries allured the poor and downtrodden by making false promises. He said that the Manch’s campaign had resulted in the reconversion of as many as 700 families in 2014 alone.
While the Manch appealed to the State government for a legislation to ban all conversions, Mr Gopal said that returning to ones’ root through “ghar vapsi” was a right of every individual. Mr Gopal said that the Manch would continue to participate in the endeavour in which it would also seek the support of the Sikh Sant Samaj.
