THERE seems to be little love lost in the world of Junkanoo right now.

The government and the Junkanoo Corporation of New Providence (JCNP) seem to be firmly locked in a battle – with the latest steps from Youth, Sports and Culture Minister Mario Bowleg the kind of brinkmanship that seems far more likely to alienate the JCNP than bring peace.

Mr Bowleg announced that there had been troubling discoveries about the JCNP’s financial management. What discoveries? We would not know, as he declined to share details.

One would think that such allegations would not be thrown around without some measure of proof – or indication of who might be to blame. But no, here we are, with Mr Bowleg threatening an audit of the JCNP without even the pretense of offering evidence.

As for the Junkanoo parades at the end of the year, Mr Bowleg has already said those will be managed by a newly established Parade Management Committee – with, it should be noted, little time left in the year for such a newly created body to organise two of the premier events in the Bahamian calendar.

By doing that, Mr Bowleg not only rejects the call from FNM leader Michael Pintard, who suggested with some wisdom that it should be left in the hands of the JCNP this year and if the government wants to do something else next year then do so with the benefit of more time to implement the changes. No, Mr Bowleg also offers some troubling government overreach by saying that no private parades the JCNP plans to hold will be approved.

Really? If private bodies want to hold an event, the government will step in and say no? Sit down, dancers. Stop your building, designers. Put down that trombone. The government says you cannot express yourselves in a privately arranged event.

Mr Bowleg says only two national parades will take place in New Providence – Boxing Day and New Year’s Day – and the parade committee will be in charge. There will be no room at the inn this Christmas for any others.

Mr Bowleg also says: “I expect all groups to participate.”

And what if they do not? What if they choose to take their performances elsewhere?

Behind all this is a supposed poll which indicated that Junkanoo groups wanted the government to run the parades – but as the JCNP chairman claims, some groups were excluded, such as One Family and Roots.

Mr Bowleg also questioned the JCNP’s history of business licence compliance – although the JCNP promptly produced one to show it is in compliance right now. What happened in previous years, as Mr Bowleg intimated? Well, if it is valid now, the organisation is valid now. Those issuing the licence were presumably satisfied.

If all this feels like a fight that is now out of hand, we would agree.

Whatever is going on with Junkanoo, it is deeper rooted than to be dealt with in this hard-edged way.

The JCNP has been the steward of the parades for many years – whatever the problem is, thinking the solution is a new group without the benefit of that experience seems foolhardy at best.

Is there time for a solution to be arrived at? The clock is ticking fast until December. Worse, there seems little willingness to find a middle ground – which is looking like a chasm between the two sides, more and more by the day.

If there is one thing we can draw upon from our own experience over the years, it is this: Junkanooers are often fiercely passionate and independently spirited. Telling them what to do has never seemed likely to be a productive outcome. Telling them what not to do seems likelier still to spark that fire.

If this is a solution, it does not feel like it.