Morung Express News
Kohima | April 26
Neingulo Krome, Secretary General of the Naga People’s Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR), has spoken out about the travel restrictions he recently faced while attempting to board a flight to Kathmandu on April 7. Krome was denied permission to travel, an incident he described as a continuation of his previous experience with travel restrictions in 2020 in Kolkata.
Speaking to The Morung Express, Krome explained that the Indian immigration authorities were aware of his travel plans in advance. He said, “It is quite obvious that the government was fully aware of my travel plans.” When he arrived at the airport, officials were waiting for him and informed him that he would not be allowed to travel. Despite being prepared to board his flight, he was told, “You cannot travel,” with no further explanation provided.
Krome was on his way to Kathmandu for the Asian Indigenous Peoples' Pact meeting, which includes representatives from India, Northeast India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. The meeting is held annually to address issues concerning Indigenous peoples in the region. Krome had also planned to undergo an eye check-up in Nepal, a country known for its specialized eye care services.
Reflecting on the situation, Krome noted that his seat on the flight was already occupied by the time his colleagues boarded. “If they had caught me at the spot, my seat should have been empty,” he said.
This marks the second time Krome has been prevented from travelling, following an incident in Kolkata in 2020. Krome believes that such travel restrictions are part of a broader effort to silence Indigenous leaders. “It’s a clear case of harassment. They want to use me to threaten other Indigenous leaders,” he said.
Krome also expressed concern that these restrictions reflect a growing intolerance of dissent in India. “It’s not just me. Many Indian writers, thinkers, and leaders have faced similar travel restrictions in the past,” he remarked. He further emphasized that the government’s actions were eroding the democratic space for critical voices. “The democratic space is completely being slowly removed for every democratic voice. It is a clear indication,” Krome added.
After being denied boarding, Krome was forced to return to Nagaland. He also recounted an incident where immigration officials refused to retrieve his luggage, which had already been loaded onto the aircraft. “I requested them to just give me back my luggage, but they arrogantly told me that they couldn’t do anything,” he said.
The incident has raised concerns from international bodies, including the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) and the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP), which have expressed their dismay over the situation. AIPP emphasized that the denial of travel without due process was a violation of fundamental human rights, stating that “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.”
