Of Incendiary Devices and Vincy Mas

It’s early days yet in the 2019 season of Vincy Mas, but observers are taking keen interest in how matters pan out in relation to the use of incendiary devices at shows put on at the Victoria Park.

Last month, at a press briefing of the Carnival Development Corporation (CDC), Chairman Ricky Adams said that the use of incendiary devices in an uncontrolled space is against the law and will not be tolerated this year. He announced that this year, the CDC had asked the police to stringent in monitoring the use of flame throwers at CDC shows.

Sounds good on paper, but what about at non-CDC shows? Isn’t the danger the same regardless who hosts the show?

We await the CDC fete events like soca monarch to see what happens then, but just last Saturday night, at a private show held at the Victoria Park, the flame throwers were out in full force, seemingly unrestrained and undeterred by the presence of members of the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force.

So, is the use of these incendiary devices against the law or is it not? Has a decision been taken to enforce the law, or will we continue to turn a blind eye? If we did not intend to enforce the law, no announcement should have been made. We cannot send conflicting messages to our people.

And while we are on the subject of bright balls of fire shooting upward in the night, do we ever spare a thought for the patients at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, just yards away from the Victoria Park, when we set off fireworks at 2 o’clock in the morning? Come on, we must do much better than that!