Highlights
- Coming from Halluwal, a small village near Mahalpur (Hoshiarpur district) in Punjab, Kushpinder Kaur never thought that she was going to create history in Australia.
- Ms Kaur's grandfather, Bishan Singh, was a freedom fighter in Gadar Party during India’s independence struggle.
- She has been instrumental in running many workshops for the upliftment of women and youth during her career as an educationist.
Ms Kaur, an educationist by profession, has become the first-ever Punjabi woman to be elected to a constitutional office in Australia’s history.
She shared her joy with SBS Punjabi, “I wholeheartedly thank all of the voters for trusting me, including those who voted by my Punjabi/Sikh surname, which is Kaur."
Backed by the Labor party, Ms Kaur had been elected as a councillor in Ward-2 of Blacktown City Council.
Before migrating to Australia in 2014, I never thought that I would be getting into politics at any stage
“While working as a principal in various colleges and schools of repute, both in India and in Australia, I have taken pride in spotting the extraordinary talents in students and providing them with the mentorship that enables them to achieve their dream goals,” she said.
Ms Kaur had words of encouragement for other women from the migrant community who want to join politics but have language and other cultural barriers.
Punjabi female councilor. Source: Kushpinder Kaur
“I encourage all aspiring females to join politics. I will be more than happy to provide my level best support, help and guidance.”
Listen to the audio by clicking on 'Speaker' in the photo above.
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