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Now this is what you call a career: 11 years as a police officer, four military deployments, three to Afghanistan where he became the first Sikh commanding officer for Canada, 13 medals including the Order of Military Merit, successful candidate for Canadian Parliament and now, Canada's new Minister of Defence. Meet Harijit Singh Sajjan, an Indian-born Sikh who is now part of new Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's forward-looking cabinet.

According to Twitter Canada, the announcement of Sajjan's welcome into the Cabinet was the most retweeted post of the day. And it figures, as this tweet comparing his experience with that of previous defence ministers makes clear.

Indeed the military remembers him fondly. "He was the best single Canadian intelligence asset in theatre, and his hard work, personal bravery, and dogged determination undoubtedly saved a multitude of Coalition lives," said Brigadier-General David Fraser in a letter to the Vancouver Police Department, where he served.

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Sajjan was born in India before his family moved to Canada when he was still five. He grew up in South Vancouver before entering the police department and later joining the military.

His entry into politics in the aftermath of his career in service, however, was not entirely without controversy, with a number of Sikhs quitting the Liberal party after Trudeau picked the veteran over former Liberal Member of Parliament Barj Dhahan. Sikhs from the party felt that Trudeau was being influenced by the World Sikh Organisation, which had backed Sajjan, an outfit that they said was extremist. Bubbling under that protest was an old battle between moderates and fundamentalists in the Sikh community in Canada, but now that the British Columbian has been picked to run the defence ministry, one expects that the relationship with leaders in the community will also develop.