Organisations condemn travel denial to Krome

• DIMAPUR — The Naga Scholars’ Association (NSA), Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) and Global Naga Forum (GNF) have strongly condemned what it termed as ‘arbitrary and unjust act’ committed by Indian authorities in denying Neingulo Krome, general secretary of Naga People’s Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR), his right to travel at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi.
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• On April 7, Krome was detained at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi and prevented from travelling to Kathmandu to attend a meeting organised by the Asia Indigenous Peoples’ Pact (AIPP).
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• In 2020, Krome was similarly stopped at Kolkata airport while en-route to Bangkok.

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• In a statement, NSA has described Krome as a respected public figure and long-time advocate for peace, justice and the rights of indigenous communities, who has consistently stood for democratic values and truth.
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• It stated that the repeated attempts to disrupt his movements – through airport detentions, unexplained surveillance or bureaucratic hindrances – are a clear violation of the fundamental rights guaranteed to every individual under any democratic country.
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• “Such actions are also a stark reminder of the diminishing space for democratic dialogue in India. The travel denial is a reflection of a state desperate to stifle natural rights - among them, the right to movement, expression, and dignity. By targeting individuals like Krome, who have contributed significantly to peace-building and human rights, the government exposes its own insecurities and authoritarian impulses,” NSA said.
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• It further stated that an injury to Krome was an injury to the principles of democracy and justice that India claims to uphold.
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• In another statement, NSF stated that the denial of the right to Krome, without explanation or recourse, was an affront not only to his person but to the principles of democracy and justice that the Indian state claims to uphold.
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• The NSF was deeply disturbed by the decades-long campaign to silence indigenous Naga voices under the guise of national security and integration.
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• It stated that Krome’s treatment was emblematic of the systemic oppression faced by the Naga people—denied freedom of movement, fenced off from kin across borders and subjected to draconian laws that perpetuate fear and subjugation.
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• It, therefore, stated that such actions are not just violations of individual liberty, but a calculated attempt to erase Naga identity and suppress their rightful aspirations for dignity and self-determination.
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• The NSF has extended unwavering solidarity with Krome and all indigenous peoples fighting for justice and affirmed not to remain silent in the face of oppression.
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• Meanwhile, the GNF stated that such arbitrary and illegal exercise of power by Indian authorities demanded outright condemnation by everyone who believes in human rights and the rule of law.
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• It appealed to the Indian government to immediately remedy the serious violation of India’s constitutional guarantee.
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• “What the Indian government is doing to him is part of a persistent decades-long attempt to silence the voice of the indigenous Naga people for dignity and political self-determination in their ancestral homeland; it is a deliberate effort to delegitimise their participation and rightful place in democratic global forums,” it said.
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• It added that the India’s autocratic and illegal dismissal of Krome’s right to travel abroad was related to the wider restrictions imposed on the Naga people’s right to freedom of movement in their own homeland.
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• By deporting Krome, GNF said that India has sent a chilling message to all indigenous leaders: dissent will not be tolerated, and indigenous voices will be silenced.
  
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• In light of the above stated circumstances, the three organisations have called upon the government of India to restore Krome’s right to travel abroad and the right to return to Nagaland. It also appealed to the international community like the UNPFII and the UNPO to hold India accountable and demand that India respect its obligations under the UNDRIP and the UNDHR.
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• It further called upon the democratic and just-minded people of India and the world to stand with them in the fight for justice, dignity and self-determination.