US asks its nationals to ‘reconsider travel’ to India’s northeastern states in updated advisory

It noted that there have been “no recent reports of violence” in Assam, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Sikkim, or Tripura.

“US government employees traveling in India require prior approval before visiting the states of Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh, as well as when visiting any areas outside of the capital cities of Assam, Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Tripura,” the advisory by the US Department of State said.

The advisory has placed the northeastern states under Level 3, which pertains to “reconsider travel”. Meanwhile, Manipur falls under Level 4, which refers to “do not travel”.

“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 traveling in India require prior approval before visiting Manipur,” the advisory stated.

Other parts of India that fall under Level 4 include Jammu and Kashmir (except the eastern Ladakh region and its capital, Leh), parts of central and east India, and areas within 10 km of the India-Pakistan border.

The US advisory has flagged “terrorist attacks and violent civil unrest” in Jammu and Kashmir. It also stated that “violence happens sporadically” in the Union territory, along the Line of Control (LOC), and tourist spots in Kashmir, including Srinagar, Gulmarg and Pahalgam.

Jammu Kashmir National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah targeted the Narendra Modi-led government over the advisory. “So much for ‘naya J&K’. For all the talk of normalcy, peace, tourism & the G-20 tamasha in Srinagar, J&K continues to be the target of US state department travel advisories. The Modi government has been able to change nothing,” he said in a post on X.

On parts of central and east India, the advisory stated, “Maoist extremist groups, or “Naxalites,” are active in a large area of India that spans from eastern Maharashtra and northern Telangana through western West Bengal. Attacks against officers of the Indian government continue to occur sporadically in the rural parts of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand that border with Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and Odisha.”