As many as 128 people from 23 Majhbi (lower caste) Sikh families, who had adopted Christianity over half a century ago, returned to the tenets of Sikhism under the massive “ghar wapsi” campaign on Tuesday. The move comes even as Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has come out openly against conversions and spoke against such a practice at the Jor Mela in Fatehgarh Sahib a few days ago.

The campaign was organised by Dharam Jagran Manch at Gurudwara Shiromani Shaheed Jeevan Singh in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib. The Manch claimed that all 128 people got in its touch expressing their strong desire to come back to the folds of Sikhism. Chanting mool mantra and Japji Sahib, all the 128 people marked their re-conversion into Sikhism.

They were honoured with amulets bearing pictures of Guru Gobind Singh and Baba Jeevan Singh. All the members of 23 families were given Japji Sahib and other religious booklets for nit-nem. Dharam Jagran Manch Punjab’s chief Ram Gopal said that returning to ones root with Ghar Wapsi is a right of every individual.

Welcoming the statement of SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar pertaining to bringing converted Sikhs back to their own religion, he said that the Dharam Jagran Manch has already helped in past, is helping now and will keep on helping SGPC in future to ensure Ghar Wapsi of its people.

“Majhbi Sikh and Valmiki, who had shun their religion due to allurement are now realising their mistakes and are returning to their respective religions,” he said while appealing the Punjab Government to enact a law that would ban religious conversions in the State.