AIPP Condemns Repeated Arbitrary Travel Restrictions and Harassment imposed on Neingulo Krome

Ukhrul, April 17: The Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) has strongly condemned what it described as “repeated and unjustified travel restrictions imposed on Mr. Neingulo Krome, Secretary General of the Naga People’s Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR), by Indian immigration authorities, without any valid explanation or legal justification.”

Pointing to the recent incident in which Neingulo Krome was denied the right to travel abroad on April 7, 2025, en route to Kathmandu, AIPP stated that the Indian authorities did not provide any explanation.

Related | Travel Ban Imposed on NPMHR Secretary General Neingulo Krome, Serious Infringement on Fundamental Rights: UNPO, GNF

The AIPP also recalled another “similar occurrence in Kolkata in 2020, where he was bluntly told, ‘You cannot travel.'”

AIPP maintained that in both cases, no official directive was presented.

“On the latest occasion, authorities even refused to unload his checked-in luggage,” added the AIPP statement.

“In a democratic country like India, no fundamental right — including the right to travel abroad — can be curtailed by the state without due process of law. The right to travel abroad is a fundamental facet of personal liberty and is protected under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. AIPP views these actions as arbitrary, unjust, and deeply troubling. Preventing individuals from travelling without legal due process is not only a violation of fundamental human rights but reflects the arbitrary exercise of power by the authorities,” the AIPP statement said.

Further, the statement expresses concern that, regardless of the intent behind these recurring incidents, they have serious consequences for civil society, individual freedoms, and the core principles of Indian democracy.

Also read | NSCN calls out India’s ‘Suppressive and Oppressive Nature’, Condemns Travel Restrictions Imposed on NPMHR Secretary General

While AIPP says it stands in solidarity with Neingulo Krome and all individuals who are unjustly denied their fundamental rights and freedoms, the organization calls upon the concerned authorities to:

1. To immediately clarify the legal grounds for the travel restrictions imposed on Mr. Krome.
2. To cease harassment of Indigenous human rights defenders without valid reasons and due process
   of law.
3. To ensure accountability for officials responsible for unlawfully preventing Mr. Krome from
   travelling abroad.

AIPP also urged the Government of India to uphold both its domestic laws and international human rights obligations.