US' Revised Travel Advisory For Americans "Routine Matter", Says India

India today said the revised travel advisory issued by the US State Department for American citizens not to go to Manipur, among other areas in India, is a "routine matter".

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in its weekly briefing today said any nation can issue such advisories from time to time.

"The US travel advisory is a routine matter. Any nation can issue that, and we look at it that way. We also issue travel advisories," the MEA spokesperson said.

In the revised advisory, the US yesterday asked its nationals not to travel to Manipur, Jammu and Kashmir, the India-Pakistan border, and parts of central and eastern parts of the country where Maoists are active.

The US State Department said it updated the advisory to reflect updated information on India's northeastern states.

Placing Manipur at "Level 4: Do Not Travel", the State Department said: "Do not travel to Manipur due to the threat of violence and crime. Ongoing ethnic-based civil conflict has resulted in reports of extensive violence and community displacement. Attacks against Indian government targets occur on a regular basis. US government employees travelling in India require prior approval before visiting Manipur."

The State Department said the US government has limited ability to provide emergency services to its citizens in India's rural areas. These areas stretch from eastern Maharashtra and northern Telangana through western West Bengal. American government employees must get special permission to travel to these areas, it said.

The ethnic violence between the valley-dominant Meitei community and nearly two dozen tribes known as Kukis - a term given by the British in colonial times - who are dominant in some hill areas of Manipur, has dragged on for over a year.

Over 220 were killed and nearly 50,000 were internally displaced.