Chandigarh, April 17: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal and other saffron organisations have decided to join hands with the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee to stop conversions in the state.

As many as 56 Mazhabi (Dalit) Sikhs were yesterday converted to Christianity at Goindwal Sahib, 45 km from Amritsar. Some of them were former SGPC employees.

?We have been warning of growing cases of conversion in the state but to no avail. Now that Sikhs have been targeted, the SGPC has woken up to the threat,? said Vijay Singh, a state VHP leader.

?We will create awareness against the conversions and protest vehemently. We warn Christian missionaries to lay their hands off Punjab.?

SGPC secretary Dalmegh Singh termed the conversions ?most shocking and unfortunate? and said the body was putting in place checks to ensure that lower-caste Sikhs remained in the fold.

?Those who can give up their faith in the gurus for material gain can jump from one fold to another any time. But we have taken the conversions seriously. We will work to put an end to the nefarious designs of foreign powers,? Dalmegh Singh said.

SGPC chief Jagir Kaur was not available for comment.

?The SGPC is an organisation of high-caste Sikhs. It does not care for people like us. There is nobody to help us when we starve,? said Balwinder, a recent convert.

In 2003, reports of conversions of Dalits in the state?s border areas had shocked the SGPC and saffron bodies.