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.
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).
In 2020, Krome was similarly stopped at Kolkata airport
while en-route to Bangkok.
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.
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.
“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.
It further stated that an injury to Krome was an injury to
the principles of democracy and justice that India claims to uphold.
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.
The NSF was deeply disturbed by the decades-long campaign to
silence indigenous Naga voices under the guise of national security and
integration.
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.
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.
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.
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.
It appealed to the Indian government to immediately remedy
the serious violation of India’s constitutional guarantee.
“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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
