Two Sikhs with roots in Jalandhar have recently gained prominence in British politics: Kulwinder Singh Johal and Preet Kaur Gill. Both appointments are being celebrated across Punjabi communities in the UK and around the world.
Kulwinder Singh Johal, 56, who traces his family to Talwan and later Tehang village in Phillaur, has become the first turbaned Sikh mayor of Leicester. Johal was brought to the UK at age six. He worked in a factory for 25 years while remaining active in community work, including helping to run a local football club. He served as general secretary of Gurdwara Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji in Leicester in 2002, a post he recalls during Queen Elizabeth’s golden jubilee visit to the community.
On being chosen as mayor, Johal said, “I am thankful to my fellow councillors for reposing faith in me and choosing me to be the First Citizen of Leicester. Also, I firmly believe that such milestones come in a person’s life only when the Almighty desires so.” His wife Manjit Kaur Johal and their children, daughter Gursimran Kaur and son Ashveer Singh Johal, accompanied him as he took office.
Preet Kaur Gill, 53, also hails from Jalandhar, from Jamsher village. She began her political career as a Labour councillor in 2012, serving on Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, and in 2017 was elected Member of Parliament for Birmingham Edgbaston. That victory made her the first British Sikh woman to sit in Parliament. She was re-elected in 2019 and again in 2024.
In a recent cabinet reshuffle under Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, Gill was appointed Junior Health Minister. Reacting to the appointment on social media, she wrote, “Every new role comes with a lot of responsibility to deliver.”
Both stories highlight the growing visibility and influence of the Punjabi diaspora in UK public life. Johal’s mayoralty and Gill’s ministerial role are seen as milestones by many in their home communities and by Sikhs across Britain, underscoring long-standing engagement in public service and local politics.
