Now that the dust is starting to settle a little on the incidents at La Citadelle where a group of hotheads invaded the place and decided to unilaterally put an end to a concert prematurely; now that the recriminations and condemnations of everyone and their dog have been heard, let’s take a step back and put the situation into perspective.

But first, let me join everyone in condemning the acts. Like the vast majority of law-abiding citizens of all communities in this country and elsewhere, I have never stood for violence and I have always denounced the arrogance and lawlessness of those who try to take the law into their own hands. Having said that, denouncing such acts requires no courage and little conviction because it is politically correct to fall hard on the despicable rogues. Which is why the denunciations seem to be countless and endless. It reminds me of those who are never seen when there is a march against abhorrent acts perpetrated by powerful people as that might cost them the boutte they are after. However, they are always busy organising walks against causes like drugs, diseases, etc. – as if these were going to disappear just by the sheer magic of people walking in the streets.

The handful of goons who intimidated people attending the concert – apart from the minister’s adviser perhaps – are powerless and isolated. The first to denounce them were people of their own community. And it is good that everyone did. Whoever they are, they committed an unwarranted act of hooliganism and violence and they should get what is coming to them.

However, this incident, condemnable though it may be, should not be allowed to take on disproportionate dimensions to the extent that the unwary observer may be under the impression that our lives are threatened every time we attend a concert or other events in some parts of the island; that there are organised bands of terrorists threatening our very existence and the multiracial harmony in this country will never be the same again; that the few hooligans who took it upon themselves to ridicule themselves are financed by terrorism money… Eaeaeasy does it!

We are not a violent people as a rule and communities are still living next to one another in perfect harmony. Gratuitous violence is rare here. Many people who attended the concert highlighted the fact that the goons at La Citadelle could have harmed people if they wanted but that that did not seem to be their intention. Equally, I don’t think anyone has forgotten that even during the Kaya riots, one of the saddest episodes in our history, in spite of the anger and violence fuelled by rumours, rioters were reluctant to harm others and in one instance, they asked their ‘enemies’ to get off a bus before they torched it.

Bearing that in mind, there are some debates that are not worth perpetuating. Even if they give us the opportunity to look good. They are worth our anger but not our participation, let alone our extrapolation. I hope those lowly scoundrels face the full force of the law for damaging property, scaring and intimidating others and taking the law into their own hands. But let’s not, for Heavens’ sake, let our imagination run away with us and start talking about organised terrorism, its financing etc. Let’s not fuel division and radicalisation that may serve the purpose of some politicians.

The sooner the incident at La Citadelle has been dealt with and shelved the better; for the harmony that we are used to in this country; for the sake of our vivre-ensemble; most of all, for the probable motivations behind the act to be nipped in the bud. For the sake of our democracy.