It was in the early hours of Sunday morning, a weekend seemingly like any other. In the heart of the nightlife in Mauritius, clubbers were going about their usual partying when the relative peace of dawn was violated with an explosion so intense that the shock was felt 2 km away, or so reports say. Two dead and fourteen injured is the temporary casualty. The rest is history.

The jolt felt by such an unprecedented explosion is still being felt, we are still reeling from the shock at such a horrific incident and rumours, speculations and questions are more than ever rife in our minds.

At this point in time, we need to borrow our Prime minister?s favourite phrase ? we need to keep cool. It is of utmost importance that we do not blow Sunday?s events out of proportions. What we need is calm, cool reason. What we also need is to be kept informed of the conclusions of the police enquiry. Speculations, especially of the nature heard at the scene in the early hours of yesterday, are potentially dangerous. Conversations, interpretations were liberally circulated and, while they varied in content, they betrayed the mood of the moment ? the explosion was no more and no less a terrorist attack.

?The terrorists have reached Mauritius ! ?, ?Bali all over again !?, ? I knew it, we had been warned ! ? or even ?Al Qaeda is here ! ? Those are but a few of the theories heard in Grand Bay yesterday and they all have one thing in common ? they translate the first, primitive thought that came to most people?s minds.

Our perverted most basic human nature is such that deep down, despite the tragic of the situation, there was the rush of adrenaline that took over any good sense. Most people, as bad as that sounds, almost wished that it was indeed terrorists that had struck.

The police say that, so far, evidence is pointing towards an ?accidental? explosion. This would indeed be the best possible conclusion to this terrible incident and we pray God that it?s exactly that: an accident. Reality and hope don?t always go hand in hand though. We need to remind the authorities that, however tempting it might be to hide the truth and other evidence from the public, if the enquiry points to another direction, it would be most unwise to keep us away from what the people have a right to know: the truth.

If nothing else, let this most unfortunate event give us an opportunity to rethink our national security policy. As it stands now, it is nothing but an empty slogan. The principle behind this recklessness is the widely circulated notion that Mauritius is a ?peaceful nation? and the oft-asked question ? who is going to attack us? It might do our leaders good to rethink this absurd and irresponsible policy.

Inland security is so inexistent that entering Government House, planting a time bomb and disappearing within minutes, blowing up the core of our country?s administration in stride could be a piece of cake if one sets one?s mind to it.

This kind of carelessness is unforgivable. It amounts to a crime. More than its responsibility to preserve our territorial integrity by fighting for our sovereignty over the Chagos, the government has a duty to secure the Mauritian territory. It is only then that we would be in a position to take our Prime minister?s advice and ?keep cool. ? Not before. And most certainly not now.