Famous Punjabi Personalities

Indian immigrants have been living abroad for generations. Of these, the Sikh community is one of the largest ethnic groups of the Indian Diaspora. In countries like the US, UK, and Australia, there are a large number of Indians making a life for themselves away from home. It is important to note that this community has successfully carved a place in the socio-cultural and political space in developed nations like these. It is also important to note that people belonging to these communities contribute significantly to shaping government policies through their work as elected officials or holding government positions with important portfolios.

Here, we will discuss six such well-known Punjabis who climbed to political power in India and various countries worldwide.

1.Jagmeet Singh

An attorney by profession, Jagmeet Singh made history by becoming the 1st person of Indian origin and a member of the visible minority community to be elected as the head of one of Canada’s three national political parties. He is 39 years old and is the leader of the New Democratic Party. 

2.Harjit Sajjan

Sajjan, belonging to the Liberal Party of Canada, was given the defence minister position in the government cabinet under Justin Trudeau in 2015. He is a retired lieutenant colonel with the Armed Forces of Canada and completed three tours of Afghanistan in the line of duty. He served as an aide-de-camp for two generals at the National Defence Headquarters and as the Land Force Central Area director of intelligence. 

3.Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi

The 54 years old Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi was the first Indian Punjabi and Sikh elected to the New Zealand House of Representatives. Since 2008, he has been a member of the New Zealand Parliament. Bakshi, a marketing manager, took an oath in the Hindi language in 2017.

4.Tanmanjeep Dhesi

Tanmanjeep Dhesi from Jalandhar was the 1st turbaned Punjabi Sikh MP in the United Kingdom. He made history in 2017 June when he was elected to the Parliament during the 2017 UK General Election. He currently serves as a Member of Parliament from Slough (UK). He is 39 years old.

5.Preet Kaur Gill

Preet Kaur Gill became the first female Punjabi MP for Birmingham Edgbaston. She is 45 years old and the youngest of the nine MPs of South Asian descent in Parliament. As early as 2018, she joined Prime Minister Theresa May’s cabinet as junior minister for international development. During her time in office, she launched a campaign called “All Londoners Welcome” to help migrants and refugees connect with their neighbours who can show them around and provide advice on key conversation topics that allow communities to build understanding with one another. She is a true leader of Punjab.

6.Manmohan Singh

Let us not forget one of the most prolific Punjabis who led the largest democracy in the world – India. Prominent economist Dr Manmohan Singh was born in a village called Gah, located in the Pakistani area of Punjab. He spent his years working with the United Nations between 1966 and 1969 while serving in many distinguished positions. A few of these include Chief Economic Advisor, Reserve Bank Governor, and Planning Commission Head of India. Dr Singh is also an honorary doctorate recipient from prestigious universities, including Bombay University, Delhi University, and Calcutta University, to name a few. He has also received several other distinctions throughout his career, such as being ranked third in the top 100 Asian heroes poll by BBC in 2003.

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed reading this article on the leaders of Punjabi descent. We hope this information helps you further understand the great leaders of Punjab. It is also important to note that people belonging to these communities contribute significantly to shaping government policies through their work as elected officials or holding government positions with important portfolios.