Suave, sober, and assertive, Anita Anand, has once again made Canada’s South Asian community proud. On May 13, 2025, she was sworn in as the country’s first Hindu Foreign Minister adding yet another feather to her already distinguished cap.

For the 25 Members of Parliament of South Asian descent in the House of Commons, the swearing-in of the new Council of Ministers, led by banker-turned-politician Mark Carney, marked a fresh beginning.

The community has much to celebrate: six of its members, four as Cabinet Ministers and two as Secretaries of State, have been inducted into Carney’s new administration.

In a clear effort to ensure gender equity, Prime Minister Carney appointed 14 men and 14 women to his Cabinet, excluding himself. Among the ten Secretaries of State, six are men and four are women. Besides Anand, Ruby Sahota is the other woman of South Asian origin included in the new Council of Ministers.

Carney chose Anand as Minister of Foreign Affairs over her predecessor, Mélanie Joly, who has now been assigned the portfolios of Minister of Industry, Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for the Quebec Regions, and Registrar General.

Along with Anand and Sahota, Carney named four other South Asians to ministerial roles: Gary Anandasangaree, Shafqat Amanat Ali, Maninder Sidhu, and Randeep Serai. Sahota will serve as Secretary of State for Combating Crime, while Serai has been appointed Secretary of State for International Development. Though they will not sit in Cabinet meetings, both will oversee responsibilities within their respective departments.

Sidhu, now elevated to Cabinet rank, has been appointed Minister of International Trade.

Ali, born on February 26, 1965, in Lahore to the renowned classical singer Ustad Amanat Ali Khan and Almas Amanat Ali Khan, represents the seventh generation of the Patiala Gharana, founded in the mid-to-late 19th century by his great-grandfather. He has since made a name for himself in the Greater Toronto Area’s real estate industry.

Anand remains a prominent figure in Canadian politics, frequently in the spotlight at major events and political ceremonies.

Anand, the 58-year-old lawyer, academic, and seasoned politician has had a remarkable year in her political career. She became the first Hindu to serve as a federal minister when former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed her as Canada’s first woman Defense Minister. During her previous term, she also served as President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Transport.

Following in the footsteps of Deepak Obhrai, the longest-serving MP representing Canada’s Hindu community, Anand has carried the torch with dignity, maintaining a non-partisan image throughout her career. Obhrai represented Alberta in the House of Commons for seven consecutive terms.

Interestingly, the new Canadian PM Carney, was elected from a riding in Nepean, Ottawa, after the candidacy of another sitting Hindu MP, Chandra Arya, was revoked. Arya was among the first to announce his candidacy for the Liberal Party leadership, but the party’s election committee did not move forward with his application due to technical reasons.

In December of last year, when internal strife began to destabilize the minority Liberal government, then-Prime Minister Trudeau offered to resign as both the Liberal Party leader and Prime Minister.

Anand was considered one of the leading contenders to replace him. However, she opted to step back from politics, stating she preferred to return to academia.

Given his high regard for Anand, Carney reportedly persuaded her to return to politics. She eventually agreed, contested the elections again, retained her seat in the House of Commons, and now assumes office as Canada’s new Foreign Minister.

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