The United States Embassy in India has warned all US citizens resident in the country or travelling to India that there is a high threat from terrorism throughout India.
Stating that the media attention to the November 26, 2008 Mumbai attack could prompt other terrorist incidents, it has asked US citizens to stay away from public places frequented by Westerners in large cities, as well as tourist areas like Goa.
It advises US citizens to always practice good security. This includes maintaining a heightened situational awareness and a low profile, being vigilant at all times, monitoring local news reports and varying their routes and times of carrying out daily activities. It says Americans should consider the level of security present when visiting religious sites, choosing hotels, restaurants, entertainment and recreation venues.
The US is also concerned that increased political tension between Pakistan and India may further complicate travel in sensitive border areas. The US Department of Defense has also increased the security requirements for its employees visiting India.
The US advisory, meanwhile, invited a strong reaction from New Delhi which asserted that the country is completely safe and such an advisory is not justified.
Home Minister P. Chidambaram said India is “safer than many other countries in the world” and New Delhi will try to persuade Washington to withdraw such an advisory.
“I don’t thing there is any justification for the advisory… India is a safe place. Thousands of tourists come to India and we look forward to welcoming them,” he told reporters.
Chidambaram was reacting to an ‘Urgent Warden Message’ posted on American Embassy website which cautioned American citizens in India.
Chidambaram said the Ministry of External Affairs will be asked to speak to the United States to persuade them to withdraw the advisory.
Asked whether the US was trying to hyphenate India and Pakistan, Chidambaram said, “Why should we jump to conclusions? We will try to find out why this advisory was issued, if at all it was issued.”
With New Delhi objecting to its advisory, the US told India that the message sent out to Americans was just cautionary and not a warning against travel to this country.
The clarification came when US Charge d’Affairs Peter Burleigh met Gayatri Kumar, Joint Secretary (Americas) in the Ministry of External Affairs, sources said.
Though Burleigh met Kumar in connection with the upcoming visit of Under Secretary of State William Burns here, the issue of the US advisory to its citizens came up during the course of discussions, the sources said.
The American envoy noted that it was the obligation of the US to give out information to its citizens about the situation in a host country according to their perception.
Courtesy: Herald
