New Delhi: The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee has welcomed the Supreme Court of India decision barring individuals from availing Scheduled Caste (SC) benefits after converting to Christianity, saying the move will help curb religious conversions, particularly in Punjab.
Speaking to the media, DSGMC president Harmeet Singh Kalka and general secretary Jagdeep Singh Kahlon termed the ruling “significant and welcome”.
They said the court has clarified that SC benefits will be limited to followers of Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism, and those who convert to Christianity will no longer be eligible for such benefits.
The leaders alleged that people in Punjab are being lured into conversion and said the committee has consistently raised the issue. They added that nearly 2,000 individuals had been brought back to Sikhism through its efforts.
According to the DSGMC, the ruling is expected to discourage conversions driven by inducements, as individuals would risk losing reservation benefits in jobs, education and other welfare schemes.
The committee also urged the Centre and state governments to strictly implement the court’s decision.
