Muktsar, October 13 — From the quiet fields of Thandewala village in Punjab’s Muktsar district to the disciplined ranks of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Rajbeer Kaur Brar has travelled a long road to history. The 35-year-old has become the first turbaned woman constable in Canada’s national police force, now serving in Saskatchewan.
Rajbeer’s journey began in a modest farming household. A graduate in Information Technology (MSc) from Guru Gobind Singh College for Women, Chandigarh, she moved to Canada in 2016 after her marriage to Satvir Singh, a mechanical engineer from Faridkot’s Machaki Mal Singh village who now works as a truck driver.
Her life abroad started like many immigrants — with small jobs and big dreams. She first worked at a Walmart store and later joined the Canadian Reserve Army, a move that would prepare her for the discipline and training of the RCMP. Her perseverance paid off last year when she was selected for the force, a moment her family says filled them with pride and gratitude.
“When she received her uniform, officers told her she was the first turbaned woman in the RCMP,” recalled her brother Beant Singh Khalsa, a dairy farmer in Muktsar. “We later confirmed it online. Rajbeer has kept the Sikh spirit alive abroad. She’s an example of what faith and determination can achieve.”
After completing her training, Rajbeer was posted to Milestone, a small community in Saskatchewan. Her presence in the RCMP is being seen as a powerful continuation of the legacy begun by Baltej Singh Dhillon, who became the first RCMP officer permitted to wear a turban in 1991. Dhillon, now a Canadian senator, remains a symbol of inclusion and cultural pride within Canada’s policing system.
For her family back home, Rajbeer’s achievement stands as a source of inspiration for young women in Punjab. “She showed that wearing a turban or carrying your identity doesn’t hold you back,” Beant Singh noted. “It gives you strength to move forward, no matter where you are in the world.”
Rajbeer’s story — one of resilience, identity, and quiet courage — adds a new chapter to the evolving story of Sikh representation and women’s empowerment across borders.
