As Sikh conversions rise, the answer lies not in outrage but in honest self-reflection.
IN RECENT DAYS, several media reports have highlighted the conversion of at least 3,000 Sikhs to Christianity in Uttar Pradesh, prompting district authorities in Pilibhit to launch an official investigation. This development has sparked widespread interest and raised important questions about the factors driving these conversions.
While such conversions were previously more common in Punjab, particularly in border areas, this phenomenon now appears to be spreading to Uttar Pradesh, with Sikhs continuing to be the primary focus.
Although the government has initiated an inquiry, it is important to recognize that conversion is a personal choice, not coercion. The right to choose one’s religion is fundamental and protected by our Constitution — a cornerstone of a free and democratic society.
But when a significant number of people from one community begin converting to another faith, it calls for introspection—not condemnation. The rising tide of Sikh conversions to Christianity—first in Punjab, now in places like Pilibhit—is one such moment. It demands not rage, but deep reflection.
A rising fringe of radicalism within the Sikh community threatens to distort the faith’s core values and alienate the next generation.
Though the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and Sikh preachers claim they are launching outreach campaigns to counter conversions, one must ask: What exactly are they preaching to stop this trend? If the message is wrapped in rigidity, ritualism, and exclusion—especially toward lower castes—then these efforts are doomed to fail. Rather than drawing people back, such rigidity only drives them further away. The irony is painful: Sikhism was born to liberate the oppressed, not to push them out.
The teachings of our ten Gurus and the Sri Guru Granth Sahib are not only reformist—they are evolutionary, revolutionary, and deeply logical. Guru Nanak was centuries ahead of his time: scientific in his thinking, rational in his outlook, and inclusive in his spirit.
Guru Nanak rejected ritualistic dogma, challenged Brahminical supremacy, and spoke of a direct connection between the individual and the divine—no need for a pandit, no middleman. And yet, today’s self-appointed custodians of Sikhism are attempting to reinstall similar mediators under the guise of orthodoxy. They preach compliance, not consciousness.
The core problem lies not with Sikhism itself, but with how it is practiced and propagated by its modern controllers. These gatekeepers have, over time, possibly altered the tenets of the faith to suit narrow political or institutional interests. In doing so, they have created a rigid framework that is increasingly alien to young Sikhs and deeply out of sync with the world they inhabit.
Logo of SGPC
The SGPC, originally a body meant to uphold Sikh values and manage gurdwaras, has become a political tool, entangled in power struggles, caste dynamics, and institutional inertia. Its moral credibility has steadily eroded. The vision and leadership it once embodied have given way to vote-bank calculations and bureaucratic dogma.
Even more troubling is the rise of fundamentalism and radicalization within a vocal segment of the Sikh community. This fringe, though not representative of the whole, has grown louder and more aggressive. It promotes intolerance, insularity, and exclusion—precisely the evils Sikhism was created to oppose. When this radicalized rigidity becomes the face of the faith, it only accelerates alienation, especially among younger generations exposed to a more global, inclusive worldview.
When a significant number of people from one community begin converting to another faith, it calls for introspection—not condemnation.
We must ask: Is this rigidity, fanaticism, and radicalization pushing us toward the dangerous territory of labelling others as kafir within Sikhism? That word—and the mindset behind it—has no place in a faith born out of resistance to exclusivity and spiritual tyranny. I hope we are not heading there.
This is not the era of horses and swords. This is the era of speed, of thought, of choice, and of self-respect. We live in a time where information flows across borders instantly. The imagination of our youth is shaped by the ideals of freedom, dignity, and prosperity. They are global citizens. If a religion fails to speak to these values, it risks irrelevance—not because its essence is obsolete, but because its interpreters have fossilized it.
Conversions are not the result of an external conspiracy—they are a referendum on internal stagnation. If Sikhism is to remain relevant, it must evolve fearlessly, just as it once did under its Gurus. It must open its arms to those made to feel invisible within their own community. It must return to its original ethos: a rejection of hierarchy, a celebration of human equality, and an embrace of rationality and compassion.
The question isn’t why they now say “Hallelujah,” but why the call of “Bole So Nihal” no longer echoes in their hearts. 
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Also Read:
Punjab’s Changing Demographics: Declining Sikh Population Amid Rising Migration
Gurpartap Singh Mann
With prior experience as a Member of the Punjab Public Service Commission, the author brings a nuanced perspective to issues of governance and social change.
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