Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau just announced his new cabinet at his swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday, and there are many great things about it. While the most-celebrated aspect is the cabinet being gender-balanced (with 15 men and 15 women), another aspect that will make Indians proud is there are four members with an Indian origin.

PC MP Navdeep Bains from Ontario has been made the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, while PC MP Amarjeet Sohi from Alberta is the new Infrastructure and Communities minister. Also from Ontario, Bardish Chagger is the new Minister for Infrastructure and Communities.

But the man who stole the show is Vancouver South MP Harjit Sajjan, who has been appointed to the important post - Canada's defence minister.

Here are 5 things you should know about this 44-year-old man who started humbly from the villages of India:





He was born in India



Harjit Sajjan was born in the village of Bombeli, in Hoshiarpur District of Punjab. His father, who was a police officer in India, left for Canada when Sajjan was two and returned three years later to shift his family to Vancouver with him.

Sajjan was raised in Vancouver South since the age of five.

Harjit Sajjan swearing-in as the defence minister. Photo: Reuters Harjit Sajjan swearing-in as the defence minister. Photo: Reuters

A police officer



Sajjan was in the Vancouver Police Department for 11 years, working in its gang squad. In 2006, he took time off from his full-time job to join the 1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group in Kandahar. His job was as a liaison officer to the Afghan police.

Photo: Harjit Sajjan/ Facebook Photo: Harjit Sajjan/ Facebook





A soldier



As Lieutenant-Colonel in the Canadian Armed Force, Sajjan has made three tours in Afghanistan and one in Bosnia. For his service, he received both the Meritorious Service Medal and the Order of Military Merit, among many other recognitions.

In a letter, Canadian Brigadier-General David Fraser wrote about Sajjan: "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. Through his courage and dedication, (then) Major Sajjan has single-handedly changed the face of intelligence gathering and analysis in Afghanistan,".

Photo: Ben Parsons/ Twitter Photo: Ben Parsons/ Twitter





Was derailed as a teenager, but found his way



In a profile in The Vancouver Sun, Sajjan spoke about his time at school in Charles Tupper Secondary, and how got involved in the wrong circles as a teenager. He was even classmates with Bindi Johal, a gangster woh was killed in 1998. Soon, Sajjan decided to make a change in his life and become a baptized Sikh.

"It wasn't really a religious thing. It was an identity thing." said Sajjan "I needed the commitment because I knew it would keep me on the right path. I found the true meaning of Sikhism and I loved the warrior aspect of it. When I was fighting to understand who I am, that (warrior) aspect was something that I really identified with."

Later on, he went on to help the Vancouver Police Department arrest many of his former classmates who had gone the wrong way.

Harjit Sajjan in a selfie with a soccer team. Photo: Harjit Sajjan/ Twitter Harjit Sajjan in a selfie with a soccer team. Photo: Harjit Sajjan/ Twitter

A family man



Sajjan is married to Dr. Kuljit Kaur Sajjan, a UBC-educated family doctor, with whom he has two children.