Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has let Dibrugarh off the disturbed area Act, i.e., the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958. Now, the number of Assam districts falling under this Act has been reduced to three – Sivasagar, Tinsukia and Charaideo. As icing on the cake, Japan has brought Assam to level I from level II insofar as travel advisories for their citizens are concerned.
Making this revelation before the media today, Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “Since we’re going to make Dibrugarh the second capital of Assam along with a massive infrastructure boost, I requested Union Home Minister Amit Shah to exclude the Dibrugarh district from the AFPSA. He agreed to it, and the MHA today issued a notification excluding Dibrugarh from the four districts of Assam that are under the AFSPA.”
On Japan’s advisory to its travellers, the Chief Minister said, “Australia has already withdrawn its travel advisory to Assam. During Advantage Assam 2.0, I requested the Japanese delegation to reconsider their travel advisory to Assam. With the situation in Assam turning peaceful, the Japanese government has brought Assam to level 1 from level II in their travel advisory to their citizens, barring the four districts – Sivasagar, Tinsukia, Charaideo and Dibrugarh. The level I in Japan’s travel advisory to its citizens is applicable all over India. Since the situation in Assam was not normal in the past, Japan did put Assam under level II in its travel advisory.”
Level I travel advisory advises Japanese travellers to take extra care; level II means refrain from travelling if not essential and not urgent; and level III means refrain from travelling at any time.
Six other countries – the USA, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Switzerland – issued restrictions to their travellers visiting Assam and other states in the Northeast.
The Chief Minister said, “After the withdrawal of its travel advisory by Australia and Japan bringing Assam to level I from level II in their travel advisories, now we’re going to take up the issue with New Zealand. I hope we’ll get a positive response from New Zealand.”
The Chief Minister said that the state government would request the Union Home Ministry to take the remaining three districts of Assam also out of the AFSPA in the next security review meeting.
Also Read: Assam: AFSPA Extended in 4 Districts as Tensions Rise Over Bangladesh Situation
AloJapan.com