Harjit Sajjan, an Indo-Canadian Sikh, was named Canada’s new defence minister on Wednesday as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took oath as the country’s 23rd prime minister at a grand public ceremony in Ottawa. Yes, a Sikh for the first time in the history of Canada has been chosen as the Defence minister. Needless to say, this will take Sikhism in the Canada to a whole another level.

Harjit Singh, a former police officer and veteran of three military deployments to Afghanistan, was born in Punjab, India. Singh’s family migrated to Canada when he was five and never looked back. After completing his studies, Mr Sajjan initially worked as an officer for the Vancouver Police Department. In 1989, he joined Canadian reserved forces and eventually moved on into the Army on a full-time basis. Singh has served in Afghanistan and Bosnia and been twice a special adviser on Afghanistan.

In 2011, he became the first Sikh to command a Canadian Army regiment when he was named commander of The British Columbia Regiment. He was also a police officer in Vancouver for 11 years, which included working as a detective in the gang crime unit. He won the riding of Vancouver South where he grew up, defeating a Conservative incumbent.

His impeccable and illustrious career in the Canadian Army had earned him the highest awards for bravery and commitment towards the nation. He was given the Meritorious Service Medal in March 2013. A father of two, the 45-year-old Mr Sajjan will oversee an anticipated change in Canada’s military involvement in the battle against militants in Syria and Iraq.