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US travel notice is ill-advised: Larry Pressler

Fakir Chand in Bangalore

Former US senator Larry Pressler has termed the recent US travel advisory urging its nationals to leave India as ill-advised and unfortunate.

In an exclusive interaction with rediff.com in Bangalore on Saturday, Pressler said he did not agree with the advisory as it was going to hurt the cordial and growing relations with India.

"Even before I left for India, a US Administration official sounded to me out on the advisory...when I protested, he said it was up to me to go ahead, and here I am," Pressler said.

Pressler is in Bangalore to attend the 21st annual general meeting of Infosys Technologies Ltd. He is full-time director of the Bangalore-based technology major.

Claiming that the advisory was issued at the behest of Pentagon, Pressler said it was an attempt to make Pakistan come around and lower tensions with India.

"It is not so much against India because Pentagon knows it can't control India in any way. By travelling to India at a such a time, I want to demonstrate that it is totally safe to be here," he said.

Pressler wondered whether New York City was any safer than Delhi or Mumbai, especially after the US Administration's warnings of an impending terrorist strike.

"During the Memorial Day in New York last month the US government set out alarm bells that there might be a terrorist strike but nobody put out a travel advisory [asking people] to leave the city or the country. It is a different matter that nothing untoward has happened so far," Pressler said.

Pressler said international pressure was beginning to work on Pakistan and hoped that the border tensions between India and Pakistan would subside in the coming weeks.

Asked whether the US really fears a nuclear war breaking out in the sub-continent, Pressler said at least the American people do not.

"The Pressler Amendment that I moved in the eighties was in effect to keep a check on Pakistan's nuclear plans. Subsequent events over the years have proved that my amendment was correct," Pressler lamented.

Commenting on the state of the US economy, Pressler said it was doing better than last year. "But the stock market is not going to move up dramatically for another four-five years as it has been over-valued in the recent years," he added.

"It was hoped that demand, especially in the IT industry, would pick up by the second or third quarter of this year. Demand for software and telecom market will take more time to pick up momentum." Pressler cautioned.

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