Ludhiana: A disturbing attempt of religious conversion has come to light from the Sundar Nagar area of the Daresi police station range in Ludhiana on June 15, where Christian missionaries reportedly tried to lure local residents to convert to Christianity by offering money, miraculous healing, and false promises.
A video of the incident has gone viral on social media, in which a local youth named Saurav narrates his encounter with the missionaries. He states that while returning home after breakfast with his brother, he was approached by a group of five, including men, women, and even children, who began persuading him to convert. “They promised me everything, luxuries, comfort if I convert to Christianity,” Saurav recounts in the video. However, he stood firm and objected to their attempts, asking them to leave.
Another local, Sharma, stated that the missionaries were promising not only money but also miraculous healing from illnesses. “They told us that even if someone in our home is sick, they will be cured after accepting Christianity,” Sharma said. He confronted them, saying, “You people appear to be converted yourselves. When your ancestors did not succumb to conversion even at the sword’s edge, how can you convert just for money?”
The residents further asked one of the missionaries his name, who told them his name is Bhuvinder Singh Sharma. Upon questioning him, locals asked, “Are you Hindu?” to which he replied, “No.” The people then countered, “Then why are you using the surname Sharma?”
This raised strong objections from the locals, who accused the missionaries of adopting Hindu names and mislead people. “This is part of their deceptive tactic to not change names, but change the religion silently,” said a resident.
Missionaries are visiting door to door in Ludhiana, Punjab, asking Hindus and Sikhs to convert to Christianity by offering them Rs 1 lakh and material gifts. Says a Hindu man: "They came as a group of 5-6 people. I told them that in the past, despite facing swords we did not… pic.twitter.com/h2i5TA8rYB
— Rakesh Krishnan Simha (@ByRakeshSimha) June 17, 2025
The locals boldly confronted the missionaries, saying with pride that they are Hindus and will never abandon their Sanatan Dharma. They told the missionaries that no temptation or false promise could shake their unwavering faith.
They asserted, “Sanatan Dharma is the great. We will never abandon our Dharma.”
Following this confrontation, the missionaries ran away from the area. The residents immediately approached the local police station and informed the administration about the incident. They also handed over two individuals involved in the conversion attempt, who had Hindu names but were actually Christians.
The police have registered a complaint based on the statements of the locals and assured them of appropriate action. Further investigation and legal proceedings are awaited. This incident once again exposes the silent but systematic attempts of missionary groups to exploit other religions in the name of luxury, service and charity.
This bold response by the residents of Daresi sets a strong example for the entire Punjab. Such alertness and pride in Dharma must be echoed across Punjab, where rising conversions are a threat to State’s cultural and spiritual fabric.
Christianity and conversion in Punjab
In Punjab, conversions are taking place through various means, including monetary benefits, false promises of miracles, and the lure of visas to countries like Canada, the USA, the UK, and Australia. All of this appears to be part of a systematic plan to alter the state’s demography. As a result, Punjab is gradually inching toward becoming a Christian-majority state.
According to the 2011 Census, Christians constituted merely 1.3 per cent of Punjab’s population. However, some media reports and self-declared surveys by missionary groups suggest that this figure has now risen to 15 per cent. Religious institutions like the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and Sikh leaders have largely failed to address this issue effectively.
Christians are now settled across Punjab but are more concentrated in Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, and Ferozepur districts. These districts are now referred to as the “Church Belt” by some locals. Thousands of new churches and missionary centers have been built in these districts, with entire villages in Gurdaspur and Hoshiarpur reportedly converting to Christianity. It is believed that almost all villages have one or two converted Christian families in Punjab. Over 65,000 missionaries are active in the state. For example, Jalandhar alone is home to over 1,500 churches.
Thanks to pastors like Raju Rangila, Bajinder Singh, Ankur Narula, and others, who have converted a significant number of Dalits from both the Hindu and Sikh communities to Christianity. The rise of self-styled pastors and “Apostles” leading Christian Chanagi Sabhas is another concerning trend. These fraudulent pastors use dubious techniques, such as staged miracles, promises of cures from illness, bringing back the dead, resolving financial issues, and freeing from drug addiction, to attract innocent people primarily Dalits, Valmiki Hindus, and Mazhabi Sikhs and mislead them into conversion. The pastors and Church leaders have also composed songs praising Jesus on lines of Sikh kirtan.
Punjabi youth, eager to go abroad, are the first targets to these conversions. Missionaries promise them an easier path to obtaining visas if they embrace Christianity.
Another significant factor driving conversions is the social and political neglect of Mazhabi Sikhs, Dalits, and marginalised communities. Despite Sikhism’s foundational principles of equality and justice, caste discrimination persists. Upper-caste Sikhs often shun Dalit Sikhs and treat them as second-class citizens, driving them toward Christian missionaries who promise them dignity and acceptance. However, even there, they often face insult and discrimination.
Another factor is the influence of wokeism. Punjab is increasingly embracing wokeism and westernisation, leading to a gradual erosion of its rich ‘desi’ culture, traditional values, and spiritual heritage that once defined its identity.
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