Nadur carnival

When this year's Carnival was over many of us here breathed a sigh of relief. Not that we are in any way against the merry-making associated with it, but the way the so-called "spontaneous carnival" at Nadur has degenerated in these last few years is simply disgusting.

The hundreds of visitors who came to our small town this year to satisfy their curiosity may have returned home with mixed feelings. Two visitors from Malta who decided to go back soon after they arrived are reported to have remarked: "it's 'anything goes' here".

Indeed the Nadur carnival has become a licence for all to do as they please on our streets. Every year the police are asked to be more vigilant.

On January 28 our archpriest wrote to the mayor asking him to ensure that the carnival activities organised by the council do not offend public decency. That letter must have been copied to our Bishop, the Minister for Gozo and the Police Superintendent.

Regrettably, these warnings seem to have fallen on deaf ears. The dancing group in our main square on Carnival Sunday, for instance, was anything but decent.

It is understood that the police on duty during the Carnival days never once intervened even when obscene acts were reportedly committed in full public view. There certainly must be laws governing decency. All of us surely have the right to a few hours of rest at night. Why then not stop the culprits who dishonour us with their shameful behaviour and the revellers who disturb our sleep with deafening loud music until the early morning hours?

Let us hope that the next carnival to be held this year will not further discredit Nadur's name with foreign visitors.