JALANDHAR, Punjab—With the influx of international church funds, thousands of people within Punjab are receiving free household goods and other luxuries, in return for allegiance to Christianity.

Many poor families have taken the plunge and renounced previous names, practices and religious belongings, in order to accept the terms set by such ministries of conversion, who then entice new followers further with a community life of support and fellowship.

One such church is The Church of Signs and Wonders, based in the village of Khambra in Jalandhar, where the name of evangelical preacher Ankur Narula takes stage to wow and wonder his flock.

“The appeal and pull of Sikhi which once automatically caused the common man and his family to engage and open their mind has been both covertly and overtly reduced to a dogmatic and ritualistic ‘religion’ by the Badal-government and their installed priests, management and leaders”, said Doctor Jaswant Singh, a university lecturer in Patiala.

He added, “Disillusioned members of the public become ripe for conversion and man a Christian group have swarmed in to setup attractive centres to pull in such individuals.”