A large-scale Ghar Wapsi event held in Pilibhit’s border region has reignited debate around cross-border evangelical activities, internal security threats, and targeted religious conversion. In a powerful show of faith and cultural resilience, 305 individuals from 61 Sikh families who had earlier embraced Christianity did Ghar wapsi to the Sikh fold on June 16 in a well-attended event in Tatarganj village, exposing what Sikh leaders and Hindu organisations have termed a “foreign-funded and orchestrated conversion machinery” operating along the porous Indo-Nepal border.
The massive Ghar Wapsi, witnessed by nearly a thousand members of the local Sikh community and key religious leaders, has drawn attention to how foreign missionaries—especially from Nepal, Haryana, and Punjab are allegedly exploiting socio-economic vulnerabilities in these villages through promises of miraculous healing and financial aid.
Organised by Sikh religious leaders and backed by awareness campaigns from the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and All India Sikh Punjabi Welfare Council, the June 16 event was the culmination of weeks of grassroots mobilisation. Jasvir Singh Virk, National President of the Indian Sikh Organisation, who led a 15-day door-to-door campaign, played a pivotal role in restoring the faith of affected families.
Prominent Sikh spiritual leaders—Baba Gurnam Singh of Gurdwara Mahangapur, Baba Nakshatra Singh of Gurdwara Harsinghpur, along with leaders from Gurdwara Nanakmatta Sahib and Gurdwara Amritsar were present at the gathering. Their unified call was clear: safeguard Sikh identity from foreign manipulation and religious exploitation.
Sources from Sikh and Hindu organisations allege that evangelical pastors from Nepal have created entrenched networks in villages such as Tatarganj, Bailha, Vamanpur Bhagirath, and Bazarghat, with a combined Sikh population exceeding 22,000. Local residents are reportedly being co-opted as intermediaries—some given the title of “Padari”—to lure others into conversion.
A May 16 letter by Sardar Harpal Singh Jaggi, President of the All India Sikh Punjabi Welfare Council, warned top BJP leaders—including Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath—about internal security risks stemming from unchecked missionary infiltration across the Nepal border.
Despite five FIRs filed since January 2025, no arrests have been made. Police say the accused remain absconding. This has raised questions about administrative inertia or political pressure, especially since many complaints involve coercion and serious allegations from women about manipulation and abuse disguised as spiritual healing.
Sikh leaders are now urging the state and Union governments to probe whether foreign religious groups are using conversion as a cover for subversive activities along this sensitive border. Speaking at the event, Jasvir Singh Virk stressed that missionaries are exploiting the region’s lack of schools and hospitals. He called on the government to provide land for Sikh-run educational and healthcare institutions in Tatarganj, Kambojnagar, and Bazarghat.
Notably, this was not the first such event. On May 23, over 500 Sikhs had already returned to their ancestral faith during a homecoming ceremony held in Bailaha and Tatarganj villages. Organised by the VHP in collaboration with Sikh religious groups, the event followed a two-day awareness campaign and saw strong police deployment for security. VHP’s Prince Gaud noted that volunteers had visited hamlets along the border to highlight Sikh teachings and values, leading to enthusiastic voluntary participation.
The Gurdwara Management Committee facilitated the religious reintegration process through Amritpan ceremonies and also supported social boycotts of individuals involved in promoting conversions.
The issue of forced or induced conversions has persisted for years in border villages under the Hasara police station area. Evangelical activity allegedly driven by Nepal-based pastors and their local collaborators continues to target economically vulnerable populations.
The All India Sikh Punjabi Welfare Council estimates that over 3,000 Sikhs have been converted across the Pilibhit border region in recent years. A list of 160 affected families has been submitted to local authorities, prompting the newly appointed District Magistrate, Gyanendra Kumar Singh, to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate forced conversions, foreign religious influence, and related land encroachments.
