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Summary of Question:	Revenge
Category:	General Sikhism
Date Posted:	Tuesday, 12/30/2003 1:58 PM MST

Hello, I was wondering is revenge justifiable in sikhism. One example is what happened as a result of the 1984 attacks on the Golden Temple. When Indra Ghandi was shot dead by her Sikh bodyguards, was that Ok. Would Guru Gobind ji have been pleased with this? According to Sikh ethics and its philosophy, was that the right thing to do? Can we as Sikhs take pride in such revenge

(REPLY) Sat Nam. It is my understanding that "only when all other means have failed is it righteous to take up the sword." Certainly in self-defense, a Sikh must act, and to defend those who cannot protect themselves. But revenge is not a basis for righteous action. You are bringing up "facts" that may or may not be accurate, and since this is not a forum to get into "political" discussion, i can only say that I don't believe in taking pride in a cowardly action of any kind. SP