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

Ukhrul, April 16: The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) and the Global Naga Forum (GNF) have condemned the detention and travel ban imposed on Naga human rights defender Neingulo Krome by Indian authorities on April 7, 2025, at New Delhi International Airport. Neingulo Krome, Secretary General of the Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights, was prevented from boarding an international flight to Kathmandu, which hindered his participation and advocacy for the Naga people in a conference organized by the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact.

Condemning the incident, the UNPO and the GNF have called it a serious infringement on fundamental rights and a reflection of the broader, systemic clampdown on human rights defenders and civil society actors in India, including those representing indigenous and minority communities such as the Naga people.

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While informing that Krome’s passport was cancelled upon arrival at the airport without providing any explanation, the organizations highlighted that the incident was not without precedent. In 2020, Krome was also barred from travelling outside of India to engage in international advocacy despite having committed no offence, and with no formal legal proceedings brought against him and he has remained under a travel ban since that time.

 “An urgent appeal was subsequently submitted by Human Rights Defenders Alert – India (HRDA) to the National Human Rights Commission of India, raising concerns about the restrictions imposed on his freedom of movement and the independence of the National Human Rights Commission. To date, no formal explanation has been issued, and no effective remedy has been granted,” UNPO said. Also, it added that Krome’s longstanding engagement with advocacy and nonviolent resistance is well-documented, and as Secretary General of the NPMHR, played a key role in drawing attention to human rights issues affecting the Naga people and indigenous communities.

Further, UNPO stated that Krome had served on the Executive Council of the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact and, in recognition of his contributions to human rights protection and civil society engagement, he was awarded the Iconic Honorary Doctor of Human Rights Protection with Gold Medal in 2024 by the World University of Discipleship Institute for Apostolic Ministries.

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“Since 1998, Mr. Krome had also widely participated in various United Nations forums, such as the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations (now the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples), the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the UN Human Rights Council, until restrictions imposed in 2020 barred him from international travel.”

Saying that the restriction imposed on Krome’s movement has raised serious concerns about the state of civic space and democratic engagement in India, the UNPO noted that in recent years, there has been a marked intensification of legal and administrative measures affecting non-governmental organizations, community leaders, and human rights defenders. And within the broader context, the targeting of Naga individuals and institutions stands out as a particular area of concern.

“The indigenous Naga people, who have a distinct historical and political identity, continue to advocate for the concretization of the Framework Agreement signed in 2015, which was at the time seen as a milestone in advancing peaceful negotiations over the political future of the Naga people. Today, dialogues to implement the Framework Agreement continue to be stagnated, and the Naga community continues to be harassed and persecuted, particularly through the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), which enables Indian armed forces and the Central Armed Police Forces deployed in areas designated as “disturbed” to conduct warrantless searches, and to arrest and kill individuals without accountability. Most recently, in 2021, Indian forces opened indiscriminate fire during a “counterinsurgency operation” in Nagaland, killing 14 Naga individuals in what was later described as a case of “mistaken” identity (Reuters, 2021).”

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“These recent restrictions on civil society figures, such as Mr. Krome, are taking place at a time when confidence-building between negotiating parties and the Naga population remains fragile. In this context, actions that inhibit open engagement and obstruct the participation of Naga civil society actors in regional and international forums risk undermining the conditions necessary for a durable political resolution. The exclusion and silencing of Naga voices has wider ramifications for trust in the negotiation process and the credibility of institutions tasked with finalizing the implementation of the 2015 Framework Agreement,” UNPO emphasized.

UNPO also stated that as a member of UNPO, the Naga people have long engaged in peaceful advocacy for the recognition of their rights and aspirations. The right of their representatives to participate in international networks, conferences, and advocacy efforts is not only an issue at an individual level but also an essential component of inclusive democratic governance.

The GNF, while extending its complete solidarity with Neingulo Krome, stated that “Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country,” quoting the UN Declaration of Human Rights, Article 13.2. Also, noting that the Indian constitution guarantees the right to travel under Article 21, the invalidating of the right simply by saying, “You cannot travel,” is not a valid procedure under Indian or international law.

Stating that 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 GNF appeals to the government to immediately remedy this serious violation of India’s constitutional guarantee.

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“The Indian authorities’ denial of Mr. Krome’s travel rights is more than an attack on one man’s freedom…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 delegitimize their participation and rightful place in democratic global forums. The fact that this history of blatant injustice against the Naga people has gone on for over seven decades makes the Indian government’s breach of national and international obligations all the more inexcusable,” the GNF said.

Further, the GNF emphasized that the incident is related to the wider restrictions imposed on the Naga people’s right to freedom of movement in their own homeland, which straddles the India-Myanmar border, referring to the lifting of the Free Movement regime and border fencing in the Indo-Myanmar border.

“These violations of the Naga people’s fundamental rights by the Indian government must be seen in the context of India’s long history of systemic oppression and militarization of Naga lands. For decades, the Naga people have borne the brunt of India’s colonial-style governance, enforced through draconian military laws which are in force to this day,” GNF said, adding the Nagas are not alone, as across the Northeast, indigenous people have faced displacement.

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“India’s claim that ‘all Indians are indigenous people’ is not only factually incorrect but a deliberate strategy to erase the unique identities of indigenous communities like the Nagas, who have lived on their ancestral lands long before the modern Indian state existed.

Accusing the Indian government, which takes pride in being the world’s largest democracy, of moral hypocrisy, the forum stated that by deporting Mr. Krome, India has sent a chilling message to all indigenous leaders: dissent will not be tolerated, and indigenous voices will be silenced. Reaffirming that it will not be silenced, the forum appeals to the international community to hold India accountable and to respect its obligations under the UNDRIP and the UNDHR.

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