We write a lot a lot about Muslims and Islamophobia. But there is another angle - or a different twist in the tale. Christianity is Indonesia's second-largest religion, after Islam. As of 2023, Christians constitute 10.5% (29.4 million) of the country's population, with 7.4% Protestant (20.8 million) and 3.0% Catholic (8.6 million).
Muslims converting to Christianity is actually a significant global trend.
A major study conducted by missionary David Garrison, highlighted in his 2014 book “A Wind in the House of Islam,” estimates that between 2 and 7 million Muslims have converted to Christianity worldwide in the past two decades. Garrison calls this movement “the greatest turning of Muslims to Christ in history.”
But let us take things closer home. Say Punjab and what's going around the majority community in that state vis-a-vis conversion.
The findings are certainly a matter of concern and deep studies and possibly necessary corrective steps.
In Gurdaspur district, it has been reported that the population of Christians increased by more than 4 lakh in five years. In Tarn Taran, there has been an increase of 102 percent in ten years period.
Thus the population of the Christians in this region jumped to 12,436 from from over 6,100. Punjab is now ruled by the AAP. The next round of assembly elections in this northern state in 2022 -- along with the likes of Uttar Pradesh, Goa and Manipur.
A section of Sangh parivar elements are reportedly already in touch with Sikh Jathedars on the matter.
Hindi newspaper 'Dainik Jagran' reported earlier this year that in just two years in Punjab, more than 3.30 lakh people have converted to Christians. Moreover; only in the year 2023-24, over 1.5 lakh people converted, while in 2024, the figure was about two lakh people.
Punjab is India’s only Sikh-majority state. And it seen a significant rise in evangelical churches.
Activists from Sikh organizations at Golden Temple, 2022.
A right-wing group in Punjab state has announced a cash reward of Rs 2 lakh (about US$2,250) for anyone who provides “information with proof” of illegal conversions to Christianity.
Tejasvi Minhas, president of the Punjab Bachao Andolan (PBA) told reporters on Nov 14 that the move aims to counter what he described as the growing influence of Christian preachers among socially disadvantaged Hindu and Sikh Dalits.
“Self-styled godmen and pastors are carrying out large-scale illegal religious conversions across Punjab,” Minhas said.
Although Christian missionaries are reaching all remote areas of the country and targeting poor and helpless people, Punjab is a cause of special concern, because the game of conversion by them is going on openly here, reported OpIndia.com.
It also said: "In Punjab, healing meetings are being held openly by these missionaries. Programs of such pastors are organized who claim to give life to dead people by blowing air on them. Following these misleading acts, Sikhs are asked to adopt Christianity."
Other reports reveal - "....almost all villages have one or two converted Christian families in Punjab".
Over 65,000 missionaries are active in the state.
In January this year; it has been also reported that the number of Jat Sikhs establishing Christian ministries and churches is increasing steadily.
Many have also formed their own Church Parbandhak Committees, with a significant number of Dalit and Mazhabi Sikhs and Hindus attending church services.
The rise in conversions to Christianity reported in quite significant numbers from Amritsar and Pathankot too. There's been a noticeable rise in "small home-based churches" and hence increasing Christian population in Dhariwal.
However, Christian organisations deny some of these charges and claims.
Sanwar Bhatti, president of the United Church of Northern India Trust Association, a Protestant body, called the allegations “a ploy to divide peace-loving people in Punjab", according to a Christians-supported website.
The central government has come under attack from time to time for allegedly creating 'funding problems' from foreign countries for various charitable Christian organisations.
The Modi government has imposed stricter rules.
A license number under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), commonly known as an FCRA number, is mandatory to receive foreign donations in a bank account.
In 2015, within a year of coming to power; the Modi government canceled the FCRA licenses of about 10,000 organizations.
It included Green Peace, funding agency Ford Foundation and 20 of them were Christian organizations.
“The Government of India’s decision to refuse renewal of Oxfam India’s Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) registration will severely affect the organisation’s ongoing crucial humanitarian and social work," Oxfam India had said in a statement in 2022.
Analysts say 'declining' visas to Christian missionaries or to talk about 'conversion' is only one part of the story.
The other part is the success the Hindutva forces are rejoicing in ensuring their own penetration in provinces where the BJP hold was traditionally weak.
The former Portuguese colony Goa is one such state. But these are never-ending battles and quite complex.
Now perhaps there is a need to 'check' conversion of Sikhs to Christianity.
ends
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