In perhaps a reference to the ongoing protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said the society must balance emotion with logic.
Sarma said this while addressing a gathering at the Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra here.
“People have to take a balanced view. I understand emotional issues as well. Emotion will always be there but the society must be able to balance emotion with logic.
“If emotion surges, developmental activities might be affected,” said Sarma.
“Out of the 200 Jeeps that run the Safari in Kaziranga National Park, only 20 are in operation this tourist season. December is the peak tourist season and 180 of the jeeps are sitting idle. Their families are suffering,” Sarma said.
A tourism department official said that bookings till December 31 have been cancelled by most of the tourists due to the recent violence and ongoing protests over the CAA.
In some tourist places, bookings for the entire season got cancelled.
The winter is the tourism season in Assam that starts from November 1 and continues till April 30.
Kaziranaga National Park, which is one of the most tourist pull, has also witnessed cancellations of bookings this season.
Assam had witnessed severe protests over the CAA since December 10 this year, triggering clashes between the police and protesters leading to imposition of curfew in some and restriction of mobile internet service for several days.