This is a guest post by AMAN BHARTI on the elections in UK

I had nipped out during my lunch break to post my voting ballot. The route back took me past Nottingham’s speaker’s corner, where for the first time ever, I saw some speakers. They appeared to be two of the three main political party candidates.

Intrigued, I joined the small crowd for my first experience of local electioneering. A desi chap in his shalwaar-kameez (or is that only what women wear?), sleeveless jacket and one of those Ahmad Shah Masood caps (I know they are called something, but I forget what) was just about to ask a question. In broken, accented English, he talked about the Muslim community suffering due to anti-terror laws, and asked which party would bring in “transparency and accountability” in the exercise of anti-terror laws, and adhere to the European courts’ views on individual human rights?

The brown faces in the audience cheered loudly. The white faces were conspicuously (and a little worryingly) silent.

The chap I took to be the Liberal Democrats candidate spoke first. He said it was fantastic that we were all children of the same earth, that we shouldn’t discriminate against immigrants, and that migration was an essential part of the human condition. I really liked that last line (it reminded me of Salman Rushdie and my brother Anthony), even though none of this was to do with the question asked. My partner says the Liberal Democrats don’t have any real answers, but they sure say all the right things.

The Labour candidate began by saying he understood the concerns of the Pakistani Kashmiri Muslim community. Now, the questioner never said he was Pakistani Kashmiri or even that he was Muslim (though admittedly latter was implied). The question was not about Muslims, it was about anti-terror laws and civil liberty. This foolish man, who would probably become my MP in a week’s time, appeared to be suggesting that civil liberties were a Pakistani Kashmiri Muslim issue, and not one that concerned every citizen of the country.

A little repulsed, I walked away. I admit I did not hear the candidate’s full response, but it is the Labour Party which has introduced those anti-terror laws, and which continues to push for their extension. Less privacy for all, longer detentions without trial. At a Labour Party conference, the police used anti-terror laws to detain an 82 year old protestor. Icelandic banks recently had their UK assets frozen using anti-terror laws. And so on. Nobody seems to notice or mind.

Too bad there did not appear to be a Conservative candidate present. I would have liked to have heard his response. I can imagine it now: “I take your point Sir, but we are planning on withdrawing from the European Convention of Human Rights altogether!”