Christianity in Punjab, India

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Diocese of Amritsar of the Church of North India has its seat in Punjab as does the Roman Catholic diocese of Jalandhar. There are thousands of settlements with a Christian congregation.[4] From 1881 to 1891 the Christian population of the then still united Punjab increased rapidly.[5]

There are numerous denominations, including the United Churches of North India (UCNI), Protestant Church, Methodist Church, Presbyterian Church,

Roman Catholic Church
, Eternal Light Ministries, Kashmir Evangelical Fellowship, the Pentecostal Mission, Pentecostal and Independent Churches.

History

The Christians of colonial India were active in the

opposed the partition of India.[6][7][8]

The meeting of the All India Conference of Indian Christians in Lahore in December 1922, which had a large attendance of Punjabis, resolved that the clergymen of the Church in India should be drawn from the ranks of Indians, rather than foreigners.[9] The AICIC also stated that Indian Christians would not tolerate any discrimination based on race or skin colour.[9]

S. K. Datta of Lahore, who served as the principal of Forman Christian College, became the president of the All India Conference of Indian Christians, representing the Indian Christian community at the Second Round Table Conference, where he agreed with Mahatma Gandhi's views on minorities and Depressed Classes.[10]

On 30 October 1945, the All India Conference of Indian Christians formed a joint committee with the

religious freedom for both organisations and individuals; this came to be reflected in the Constitution of India.[6]

On 31 August 2022, the Sikh leader of the Akal Takht alleged that Christian missionaries are forcibly converting people of the state and demanded an anti-conversion law be brought up into the books.[11] On the same day, a pastor's car was lit on fire in Thakarpur village of Tarn Taran district.[12]

In April 2023, Christian organizations and leaders in the state launched the first Christian-affiliated political party, named the United Punjab Party (UPP), to represent the local Christian community’s interests.[13]

Demographics

Christians in Punjab
Year Number Percentage
2001[14]
292,800
1.20
2011[15]
348,230
1.26

Percentage by district

S.No District Christianity
1 Amritsar 2.18%
2 Barnala 0.10%
3 Bathinda 0.18%
4 Faridkot 0.20%
5 Fatehgarh Sahib 0.28%
6 Firozpur 0.95%
7 Gurdaspur 7.68%
8 Hoshiarpur 0.94%
9 Jalandhar 1.19%
10 Kapurthala 0.67%
11 Ludhiana 0.47%
12 Mansa 0.12%
13 Moga 0.33%
14
Muktsar
 0.19%
15 Patiala 0.30%
16 Rupnagar 0.31%
17
Mohali
 0.54%
18 Sangrur 0.15%
19
Nawanshehar
 0.24%
20 Tarn Taran 0.54%
Punjab (Total) 1.26%

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Unknown".[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ "How Christianity is growing among Mazhabi Sikhs & Valmiki Hindus in Punjab's villages". 2 December 2021.
  3. ^ Juergensmeyer, Mark (22 December 1976). "The Fading of an Era: The Last Missionaries in the Punjab". Christian Century. Archived from the original on 6 July 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
  4. ^
    Deutsche Missionsgemeinschaft. Archived from the original
    on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
  5. ^ Krüppner, Thomas (11 November 2006). "Konversion und Rekonversion im Hinduismus" (in German). Suedasien.info. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
  6. ^
    ISBN 978-0-8386-1021-3
    .
  7. doi:10.1111/1467-9809.00138
    .
  8. ^ Pinto, Ambrose (19 August 2017). "Christian Contribution to the Freedom Struggle". Mainstream. LV (35).
  9. ^
    ISBN 978-0-19-909757-9
    . In December 1921, the Punjabi-dominated meetings of the All India Conference of Indian Christians in Lahore was more cautious in their proposals but less cautious in the rationale they offered. They passed resolutions, first indicating that the Protestant missions 'should be completely merged in the Indian Church and that in future all Foreign Missionaries should be related to it', and then urging the missions in the meantime to 'appoint Indians of ability and character on an increasing scale'. Among their supporting arguments were that 'Indian Christians are not going to put up with colour and racial distinctions', that foreign missionaries could not solve the community's problems 'because of lack of sympathy', that the missions were too divided by denominational differences to bring about a united Indian Church, and that 'In these days Indians look up to Indians and do not pay much attention to foreigners.'
  10. ISBN 978-1-78093-607-9
    .
  11. ^ Brar, Kamaldeep Singh (31 August 2022). "Forced conversion to Christianity is on, need law in Punjab: Akal Takht Jathedar". The Indian Express. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  12. ^ Ghazali, Mohammed. Kumar, Akhil (ed.). "Punjab Pastor's Car Set On Fire, Bhagwant Mann Assures Strict Action". NDTV.com. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  13. ^ Sethi, Chitleen K. (5 April 2023). "'Under attack, need elected representatives': Why Christians in Punjab have launched a political party". ThePrint. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  14. ^ "Total population by religious communities". Censusindia.gov.in. Archived from the original on 19 January 2008. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  15. ^ "Indian Census 2011". Census Department, Government of India. Archived from the original on 13 September 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Christianity_in_Punjab,_India&oldid=1220385839"