New Delhi: Well known rights activist and general secretary of the Naga People’s Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR), Neingulo Krome, was barred from leaving the country at the Kolkata airport due to orders from the central government. The news has garnered severe outrage from across Nagaland.Krome was to board a flight to Bangkok from Kolkata’s Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport on February 5.Local news reports, quoting Krome, said he was travelling to Bangkok for a meeting. “They cleared my passport. But all of a sudden, the two officials came and told me to wait in a corner. I waited for quite some time. Then they came and informed me that they had received instruction to cancel my travel. They escorted me outside,” Krome told the Morung Express.“I had already received my boarding pass, and cleared my passport but before I could reach the immigration, they stopped me which means somebody must have been watching me,” Krome said.The news report said Krome expressed shock over the incident which he termed “unexpected” as the immigration had cancelled his flight for the first time.Krome has been vocal about the Naga movement and has spoken at many national and international fora. In September 2019, Krome was one of the speakers to address a protest rally held in New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, demanding that the Centre gave the Nagas an “honourable solution” under the impending Naga Accord after the Centre gave the negotiators three month’s time to accept an agreement without a separate flag and a constitution.Watch | The Naga Question: Insurgency, Ceasefire and the Peace ProcessKrome had told The Wire then that, “During Vajpayee’s time, we [the Nagas represented by the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland – NSCN-Isak-Muivah] had signed an agreement [with New Delhi] and were told that we are unique people. We are grateful to this kind of interest always [by New Delhi]. But after Narendra Modi came, he said big words, made big promises [a framework agreement was signed with the Centre in 2015]. Now [the Centre] gives us three months to accept an imposed solution, without a flag and without a constitution. What is the meaning of this? Therefore, I conclude by saying that it is better to die in dignity than to live with humiliation.”On February 7, as many as 160 civil society activists and academics from across the country issued a joint statement condemning the Centre’s action. The statement said, “Krome was told that he is not allowed to travel abroad as per the orders of the ‘government.’ There was no additional clarification offered to him nor any list shown with his name.”“We are certain that by not allowing the leader of one of India’s oldest human rights organisations to travel abroad, GOI has made yet another statement about their intolerance and arrogance. But additionally, we are also concerned that it is also in many ways an open attack on the Naga people’s rights, amidst a 23-year-old peace process and ceasefire.’The statement further pointed out that the de-boarding of Krome was preceded by “several cases that Government agencies have been slapping on Naga people. A few civil society leaders and NSCN cadres (National Socialist Council of Nagaland, the signatory to the framework agreement with Modi government) have been framed under UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act) and are languishing in jails.”The full text of the statement has been reproduced below.§We the concerned people, mass organisations and peace, human rights groups condemn the silent but targeted attack by Government of India and its agencies on the Naga civil society leaders and the leaders of the NSCN.Mr. Neingulo Krome, Secretary General of Naga Peoples’ Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR), was illegally and unlawfully de-boarded from a Kolkata-Bangkok flight on 5th February 2020, by the immigration authorities at Kolkata. He was told that he is not allowed to travel abroad as per the orders of the ‘Government’. There was no additional clarification offered to him nor any list shown with his name.We are certain that by not allowing the leader of one of India’s oldest human rights organisations to travel abroad, GoI has made yet another statement about their intolerance and arrogance. But additionally, we are concerned that it is also in many ways an open attack on the Naga people’s rights, amidst a 23 year old peace process and ceasefire. Despite having signed the ‘framework agreement’ with the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (I-M) in 2015, Government of India is yet to concretise or publicise the details of the document. The insult to dignity and denial of travel rights for the NPMHR leader is yet another sign of GoI’s disrespect towards and backtracking from the ceasefire and the framework agreement. We are worried that the Government of India, while battling without an escape route in the siege in Jammu & Kashmir, is opening another war front in the Northeast region.The illegal and unlawful de-boarding of Mr. Krome is preceded by several cases that Government agencies have been slapping on Naga people. A few civil society leaders and NSCN cadres have been framed under UAPA and are languishing in jails.Mr. Krome was a key speaker at the NAPM biennial held at Puri, a couple of months back and at the Democratic Rights Convention in Delhi in Sep 2019. He is an important and committed human rights defender from the region and he leads one of the most respected HR organisations, world over.We condemn this act of the Government and demand that he be allowed to travel. We also demand that the Government respect the spirit and letter of the peace process and desist from the witch-hunt against Naga people and their leaders.Signed on the 7th February 2020ByMedha Patkar, Narmada Bachao Andolan & National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM)Syeda Hameed, Former Member, Planning Commission, New DelhiTapan Bose, Pakistan India People’s Forum for Peace & DemocracyAruna Roy, Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan & NAPM.Dr. Sunilam, NAPMAshok Choudhary, All India Union of Forest Working People, Uttar PradeshAnand Mazgaonkar, Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti, GujaratT. Peter, National Fishworkers Forum, KeralaJohn Dayal, Analyst and author, New DelhiPrafulla Samantara, Lok Shakti Abhiyan; OdishaLingraj Azad, Samajwadi Jan Parishad & NiyamgiriVijayan MJ, PIPFPD, New DelhiMeera Sanghamitra, NAPMRita Manchanda, Research Scholar, New DelhiRoma, AIUFWPGauhar SirajProf. Sushil Khanna, Academic, KolkataSushoba Barve, Social and peace activistDayamani Barla, Aadivasi-Moolnivasi Astivtva Raksha Samiti, JharkhandGabriele Dietrich, Tamil NaduPenn Urimay Iyakkam, MaduraiGeetha Ramakrishnan, Unorganised Sector Workers Federation: Tamil NaduPriya Pillai, EnvironmentalistManoranjan Mohanty, Academic and Author, New DelhiHaris Kidwai, New DelhiJatin Desai, Senior Journalist, MumbaiSandeep Pandey, Uttar PradeshRicha Singh, Sangatin Kisaan Mazdoor Sangathan; Uttar PradeshArundhati Dhuru, Uttar PradeshAdv. Clifton D’Rozario, Manthan Law, BangaloreDinesh Mohan, Academic, New DelhiDunu Roy, Researcher and writer, New DelhiAswathy Padmasenan, The Research Collective, New DelhiAdv. Aradhna Bhargava, Madhya PradeshRajkumar Sinha, Chutka Parmaanu Virodhi Sangharsh Samiti.Nikhil Dey & Shankar Singh, Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) & National Campaign for People’s Right to InformationKavita Srivastava, People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL);Kailash Meena, NAPM, RajasthanP. Chennaiah, Andhra Pradesh Vyavasaya Vruthidarula Union-APVVURamakrishnam Raju, United Forum for RTI and NAPMChakri (Samalochana)Balu Gadi (RSV)Bapji Juvvala, NAPM Andhra Pradesh;Kamayani Swami, JJSS, BiharAshish Ranjan, Jan Jagran Shakti Sangathan, NAPMMahendra Yadav, Kosi Navnirman Manch, NAPMSister Dorothy, Aashray AbhiyanGautam Bandopadhyay, Nadi Ghati Morcha; ChhatisgarhKaladas Dahariya, RELAARajendra Ravi, National Cyclists Union, New DelhiBhupender Singh Rawat, Jan Sangharsh VahiniAnjali Bharadwaj & Amrita Johri, Satark Nagrik SangathanSanjeev Kumar, Dalit Adivasi Shakti Adhikar ManchAnita Kapoor, Delhi Shahri Mahila Kaamgaar UnionSunita Rani, National Domestic Workers UnionNanhu Prasad, National Cyclists UnionMadhuresh Kumar, NAPMAryaman Jain, New DelhiDivyansh Khurana, New DelhiEvita Das, New DelhiAnil TV, Delhi Solidarity GroupSwati Desai, GujaratKrishnakant, GujaratParth, GujaratNita Mahadev, GujaratMudita, Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti, Lok Samiti, GujaratDev Desai, GujaratMujahid Nafees, GujaratRamesh Tadvi, GujaratAziz Minat, GujaratBharat JambuchaFaisal Khan, HaryanaKhudai Khidmatgar, HaryanaJ S Walia, HaryanaBasant Hetamsaria, JharkhandAloka Kujur, JharkhandDr. Leo A. Singh, JharkhandAfzal Anish, JharkhandSushma Biruli, JharkhandDurga Nayak, JharkhandJipal Murmu, JharkhandPriti Ranjan Dash, JharkhandAshok Verma, JharkhandSister Celia, Domestic Workers Union; KarnatakaMaj Gen (Retd) S.G.Vombatkere, KarnatakaNawaz, KarnatakaDwiji, KarnatakaNalini, KRRS, KarnatakaSuniti SR, MaharashtraSuhas Kolhekar, MaharashtraPrasad Bagwe, MaharashtraBilal Khan, Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan, MumbaiSanjay Mangala Gopal, MaharashtraMukta Srivastava, NAPM MaharashtraYuvraj Gatkal, NAPM MaharashtraChetan Salve, NBA & NAPM MaharashtraJameela, GBGB.Geetanjali Chavan, MaharashtraSuraksha Samiti, OdishaManorama Khatua, Ant-Posco Movement, OdishaLingaraj Pradhan, OdishaSatya banchor, OdishaAnant, OdishaKalyan Anand, OdishaArun Jena, OdishaTrilochan Punji, OdishaLakshimipriya Mohanty and Balakrishna Sand, OdishaManas Patnaik, OdishaGuruwant Singh, PunjabSuthanthiran, Tamil NaduArul Doss, Tamil NaduJeevan Kumar & Syed Bilal (Human Rights Forum), TelanganaP. Shankar (Dalit Bahujan Front), TelanganaVissa Kiran Kumar & Kondal (Rythu Swarajya Vedika),TelanganaRavi Kanneganti (Rythu JAC), TelanganaAshalatha (MAKAAM), TelanganaKrishna (Telangana Vidyavantula Vedika-TVV)M. Venkatayya (Telangana Vyavasaya Vruttidarula Union-TVVU)Rajesh SerupallyVilayodi Venugopal, KeralaCR Neelakandan, KeralaProf. Kusumam Joseph, KeralaSharath Cheloor, KeralaVijayaraghavan Cheliya, KeralaMajeendran, KeralaMagline, KeralaRajeev Yadav, Rihai Manch, Uttar PradeshSuresh Rathaur, Uttar PradeshArvind Murti, Uttar PradeshSatish Singh, Uttar PradeshJagriti Rahi, Uttar PradeshAltamas Ansari, Uttar PradeshZainab Khatun, Uttar PradeshRambeti, Uttar PradeshNakul Singh Sawney, Uttar PradeshMashiuddin, Uttar PradeshVimal Bhai, Matu Jan sangathan; UttrakhandJabar Singh, UttrakhandUma, UttrakhandSamar Bagchi, West BengalBinayak Sen, West BengalSujato Bhadro, West BengalPradip Chatterjee, West BengalPasarul Alam, West BengalAmitava Mitra, West BengalTapas Das, West BengalTahomina Mandal, West BengalPabitra Mandal, West BengalKazi Md. Sherif, West BengalBiswajit Basak, West BengalAyesha Khatun, West BengalRupak Mukherjee, West BengalMilan Das, West BengalAsit Roy, West BengalMita Bhatta, West BengalYasin, West BengalMatiur Rahman, West BengalBaiwajit Basak, West BengalAmit Kumar-Student, Faculty of Law, Delhi UniversitySathish Kumar, General Secretary, socialist workers Centre, TamilnaduSundara Babu, Researcher, Tamil NaduVinod Koshy, Dynamic Action, KeralaPoonam -General secretary, Pragatisheel Mahila sangathan DelhiDr Mrigank, IFTU Delhi Committee
