ABSTRACT
In April1999 Sikhism marked the tri-centenary of the formation of the Khalsa (the Sikh brotherhood), an occasion that was celebrated throughout the globe. To commemorate the event in Britain, Sikhs invited Prime Minister Tony Blair to a reception in Birmingham to deliver the opening address. The choice of Blair was an appropriate one for not only was he the leading representative of 'New' Labour but also because as head of government he symbolized an enduring relationship between the Sikhs as a community and the British state. Blair's message to the Sikh audience was well received for, amongst other things, he chose to dwell on theme of just war in Sikhism by highlighting the on-going NATO campaign in Kosovo. This campaign, asserted Blair, vindicated a key element of the Sikh faith: namely, that when all modes of redressing injustice had failed, it was right and just to take up the sword.
