NE states demand lifting of curbs on foreign tourists

NEW DELHI, August 6: After the Central Government's permission to allow foreigners to visit Nagaland, the Union Home and Tourism Ministries have received demands for lifting restrictions on the foreign tourists in other Northeastern states as well. These states, including Manipur, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, have made a beeline for the two Ministries, and requested that foreigners should be allowed a free access in order to boost tourism. The government had last month lifted the ban on foreign tourists in certain districts of Nagaland. A decision on the demands of the other Northeast states is now likely to be taken at a meeting of the tourism secretaries on September 7, which will be followed by a meeting of the state tourism ministers where the ministers from these Northeast states will present their case. A senior Tourism Ministry official said: "While we have received requests from the other states, a decision on this matter can be only be taken by the Home Ministry in view of the security constraints. We have only forwarded the requests from various states to the Home Ministry." The other NE states want to join the bandwagon set into motion by Nagaland and the increase it has registered in attracting foreign tourists after entry rules were liberalised. "The other states also want to replicate Nagaland's success story," sources at the Tourism Ministry said. The concerned ministries are at the moment looking into a representation given by the Manipuri Students Federation urging the Central Government to lift restrictions on foreign tourists' entry into the state. In a memorandum submitted to Home Minister LK Advani and Tourism Minister Ananth Kumar, the federation has drawn their attention to the attractive tourist spots in Manipur. It has sought to allay the Home Ministry's fears by assuring that Manipur was a safe place for foreign tourists and there had not been a single incident of kidnapping or killing of foreign nationals in that state. At the moment the foreign tourists are allowed to visit Manipur only after getting special permits from the Home Ministry. Similar representations have also been made by tourist associations from Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Tripura.