Christian organisations condemn forcible conversion

Different Christian organisations have condemned the alleged forcible 're-conversion' of 128 people to Sikhism, and said such practice was gross violation of human rights and should be stopped forthwith. Christian organisations including the Church of North India Dioceses, Roman Catholic Diocese of Jalandhar and the Salvation Army said forcible conversion from one religion to another should be stopped forthwith and whosoever organise such programmes should be taken to task as per law.

Church of North India moderator and Amritsar Dioceses Bishop P K Samantray said, "Forcible conversion from one religion to another was purely gross violation of human rights that should be stopped forthwith." He alleged that BJP was the brainchild behind the recent conversion ceremony in Amritsar.

Everybody has freedom to embrace a new religion but there should be no forcible conversion, he said, adding Christianity never believes in forcible conversion. "More than ninety per cent of students studying in educational institutions run by Christian organisations and hundreds of people working there were never even asked to embrace Christianity. Christian organisations never even lure anybody to covert," he said.

The Dharam Jagran Manch of RSS had claimed that at least 128 people from 23 Christian families were 're-converted' to Sikhism at a ceremony organised by an offshoot of the organisation in a Gurudwara in Amritsar on December 30.

The supreme temporal body of the Sikhs Akal Takht had, however, said it was never informed about the 're-conversion' and the process needs to be "scrutinised". Jathedar Akal Takht Gyani Gurbachan Singh had said that conversion needs to be "scrutinised" as the set procedure as per Sikh tenets was not followed during the 're-conversion' process.