The Global Naga Forum and the Naga Scholars’ Association have strongly condemned what they termed as the “arbitrary and unjust” denial of travel rights to Mr. Neingulo Krome, Secretary General of the Naga People’s Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR), after he was stopped from boarding an international flight and deported back to Nagaland earlier this month.
According to the Global Naga Forum, Krome was “detained at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi while en route to Kathmandu, Nepal” on April 7, 2025, where he was scheduled to attend a meeting organized by the Asia Indigenous Peoples’ Pact (AIPP). “He was sent back to Nagaland,” the Forum said, adding that this is not the first time such an incident has occurred.
The Forum recalled that on February 5, 2020, Krome was also “forcefully returned to Nagaland from the airport in Kolkata while travelling to Bangkok for a meeting.” On both occasions, Indian authorities allegedly offered no legal explanation apart from the vague and blunt phrase: “You cannot travel.”
Condemning what it calls an “arbitrary and illegal exercise of power,” the Global Naga Forum said, “The Indian Supreme Court’s ruling going back to the 1960s says that the right to travel abroad is a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, and the government cannot invalidate the right without a proper procedure established by law.”
They further argued, “Such arbitrary and illegal exercise of power by Indian authorities demands outright condemnation by everyone who believes in human rights and the rule of law.” The Forum appealed to the Indian government “to immediately remedy this serious violation” and restore Mr. Krome’s right to travel freely to countries “where lawful travel restrictions are not in place for the public.”
Highlighting the broader implications of the incident, the Forum stated, “The Indian authorities’ denial of Mr. Krome’s travel rights is more than an attack on one man’s freedom; it 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.”
The statement also touched upon the implications of India’s decision to do away with the Free Movement Regime along the India-Myanmar border. “Nagas cannot freely travel and interact with one another,” the Forum stated, adding that “India has started building a fence along the Naga corridor… separating Naga families and communities on both sides of the international fence.”
The Global Naga Forum called out what it described as India’s “colonial-style governance” of Naga lands, enforced through “draconian military laws which are in force to this day.” Comparing India’s approach unfavourably to global efforts for reconciliation, the Forum said, “Nations such as Canada and Australia have begun truth and reconciliation processes… Even Pope Francis has sought forgiveness… Yet, India… continues to treat its indigenous peoples as second-class citizens.”
The Forum concluded by calling on the Government of India to restore Mr. Krome’s right to travel, issue a formal apology to the Naga people, and respect its obligations under international frameworks such as the UNDRIP and UNDHR.
In a separate statement, the Naga Scholars’ Association (NSA) echoed the condemnation, saying it “strongly express our deepest condemnation of the arbitrary and unjust act committed by Indian authorities.” The NSA described Mr. Krome as a “respected public figure and long-time advocate for peace, justice, and the rights of indigenous communities.”
Calling the April 7 incident “part of a disturbing pattern of targeted harassment and obstruction,” the NSA remarked, “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.”
The NSA warned that “the denial of travel to Mr. Krome is not just an affront to one individual. It is emblematic of a deeper malaise – a state machinery increasingly insecure in the face of dissent and diversity.” They stated that “such actions are also a stark reminder of the diminishing space for democratic dialogue in India.”
Recalling Mr. Krome’s previous encounters with government agencies—including “unwarranted questioning, disruptions to his professional engagements, and surveillance intended to intimidate”—the NSA said the latest incident is “a continuation of a troubling tradition of state overreach.”
“We call upon all democratic institutions, civil society organizations, and conscientious citizens to speak out against this blatant misuse of power,” the NSA said. “An injury to Mr. Neingulo Krome is an injury to the principles of democracy and justice that India claims to uphold.”