Over 3,000 Sikh Conversions in Uttar Pradesh Spark Concern; Welfare Council Seeks Action Against Missionaries

Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh, May 18, 2025: The All-India Sikh-Punjabi Welfare Council has raised alarms over the conversion of more than 3,000 Sikhs to Christianity in Uttar Pradesh’s Terai district of Pilibhit, bordering Nepal. The council has submitted a preliminary list of 160 affected families to the local administration and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, urging action against alleged Christian missionaries from Nepal responsible for these conversions.

Harpal Singh Jaggi, president of the council, stated, “We have been trying to take steps to prevent such things, but a Father of a church in Nepal is trying to lure our community members to Christianity and has succeeded on many occasions.” He added that some families were converted forcefully and that missionaries promote superstition among the poor to facilitate conversions.

Local police have registered an FIR against eight named and a dozen unidentified individuals for organizing religious conversion sessions in several border villages, including Bamanpur, Tatarganj, and Bailha. Investigations are ongoing.

Uttar Pradesh’s Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Ordinance, 2020, criminalizes conversions through misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement, or fraudulent means, with penalties ranging from 10 years to life imprisonment for mass conversions or those involving minors and women.

This incident highlights ongoing tensions surrounding religious conversions in India, particularly in regions with vulnerable populations. The council’s call for administrative intervention underscores the need for vigilance and adherence to legal frameworks governing religious freedom and conversion practices.