It is a proud moment for India as the Punjabi community in Canada has created history on 4th November when two turbaned Sikhs Harjit Sajjan (42) and Navdeep Bains (38) were sworn in as the Union Cabinet Ministers of Canada at a grand public ceremony.
In the cabinet of newly elected 42-year-old Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Harjit Sajjan was appointed Defense Minister while Navdeep Bains was appointed the minister of Innovation, science and economic development.
Navdeep Bains has reportedly played a key role in Justin Trudeau’s election as the leader of Liberal Party in 2013. Bains became MP for the third time in 2015. He earlier served as the Parliamentary secretary to the then prime minister in 2005.
He has also been a distinguished visiting professor at reputed Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University, Toronto.
On the other hand, Harjit Sajjan was first time elected as MP in 2015 and he is now Canada’s new defense minister. He was a decorated police and army official who served in Afghanistan and Bosnia. He was given the Meritorious Service Medal in 2013.
Sajjan served as a detective with the Vancouver Police Department for 11 years before being elected as an MP.