Varinder Singh
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, February 21

Without naming Punjab directly, the Government of Canada has advised its citizens to stay away from “border with Pakistan” in view of escalating tensions between India and  Pakistan.

India has jumped to the top of the list of countries prepared by the Canadian government and where Canadian citizens have been advised to either exercise a high degree of caution owing to constant threat of terrorist activities “throughout the country at all times”.

The Canadian government has advised its citizens to ‘avoid non-essential travel’ to a number of Indian states and areas including, the border with Pakistan (it means Punjab and Rajasthan), the border with Bangladesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

The reason for travel advisory against travelling to these states has been cited as “due to conflict”. The government of Canada has regularly been updating its list of travel advice and advisories so as to keep its citizens aware about changing threat perceptions and circumstances prevailing in other countries.

One of the reasons for issuing and updating the travel advisories was that a lot of Canadians venture out on travel to other countries at the outset of spring season over there and the Canadian government wants that that the Canadians should themselves apprised about travel risks before chalking out any travel plans.

If India has spiralled to the top of the list of “dangerous places” for Canadians, China figures at its end after France, Madagascar, Indonesia, Haiti, Venezuela, Philippines, Jordan, Brazil, Tunisia, Jamaica and Thailand.

In case of France, the Canadian government has advised its citizens to “exercise a high degree of caution” mainly owning to the “current elevated threat of terrorism” apart from the ongoing large gilets jaunes protests on Saturdays in that country.

The Canadian government has asked its citizens to exercise a high degree of caution in Indonesia for “political and social tensions” and has advised them against travelling to Venezuela for “significant level of violent crime and unstable political and economic situations”.

Similarly, the Canadian authorities fear high crime rates and regular gang-related and other violence in Brazil could harm its citizens travelling to that country.