On Sunday I was delighted to visit the Guru Nanak Gurdwara in central Leicester on India's Republic Day.
As well as having the opportunity to hold discussions with the management committee and chat with those attending the Gurdwara, I was privileged to be able to speak to the worshippers. I would like to thank the committee and others for being so hospitable to me on my visit.
During my talk and in discussions afterwards, I emphasised how important it is that the police treat all communities equally. Every individual is equal under the law and we are all subjects of Her Majesty. Since the police wear the Queen's Uniform, they must treat all her subjects equally. It is right that the police should treat everyone equally, giving nobody favours and persecuting neither individual nor community. Ensuring this equality will be a key feature of my policies if I am elected to be Police and Crime Commissioner.
Anyone who has suffered a hate crime knows that it is a traumatic experience. Every resident of Leicester, no matter what their religion or ethnicity should be safe from hate crime. I will work with Cllr David Findlay, of the Leicestershire Police Hate Crime Scrutiny Panel, to ensure that all hate crimes are dealt with properly by our police.
Our children must be safe to walk the streets. They should be protected from criminals and learn to trust the police. I intend to allocate a police officer to each school. Schools will be able to call on that officer to visit the school to talk to children on a regular basis, or to respond to any emergency.
I have met Home Secretary Priti Patel several times both in person and on line to talk about policing issues. She has given me her assurance that Leicester and the two counties will get its fair share of the 20,000 additional police officers currently being recruited by the Conservative Government.
Guru Nanak Gurdwara is the first Sikh Gurdwara in Leicester. It was originally set up in the 1960s on New Walk, moving into this former building in 1989. The area around the Gurdwara is known as Holy Bones, taking its name from the medieval street that led to the nearby St Nicholas Church. The Gurdwara (the residence of the guru) is not only a place of worship, but also houses a Punjabi school and library and acts as a community centre offering food, shelter and companionship to all those who need it.
A Sikh Museum dedicated to Sikh culture and history is also on the premises. It was set up in 1992. It contains an impressive collection of models, including one of the Golden Temple of Amritsar, as well as paintings, photographs and artefacts relating to the history of the Sikh religion and the sacrifice and devotion of its followers.
It was a fascinating visit and I look forward to return trips in due course.
