With the Naga peace process derailed due to the prevarication of the Indian government and its intransigence on the content of the mutually-agreed Framework Agreement, now the government of India, acting at the behest of the Governor, who is also the interlocutor of the peace process has started a witch-hunt of the peace activists and human rights defenders. More than a hundred human rights activists, civil libertarians and social activists have denounced the right to travel to a destination of one’s own choice to Neingulo Krome, the Secretary-General of the Naga Peoples’ Movement for Human Rights  (NPMHR).

MEDHA PATKAR, TAPAN BOSE, JOHN DAYAL and a hundred other distinguished activists from across India, in a statement released to the media, have condemned the silent but targeted attack by the Government of India and its agencies on the Naga civil society leaders and the leaders of the NSCN.

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.

The NPHMR activist has been a key speaker at the NAPM biennial at Puri, and at the Democratic Rights Convention in Delhi in September 2019. He is a committed human rights defender.

The illegal and unlawful de-boarding of Krome has been preceded by several cases slapped on human rights and political activists.  NSCN cadres and leaders have been framed under UAPA and are languishing in jails.

The statement reads that “We are certain that by not allowing the leader of one of India’s oldest human rights organisations to travel abroad, the Indian government has shown yet another example of intolerance and arrogance.”

“Additionally, we are concerned that it is also in many ways an open attack on the Naga peoples’ 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.”

Speaking to WSN, Dal Khalsa spokesperson Kanwarpal Singh said, “I know Neingulo Krome. He is a steadfast human rights activist fighting for peace in the North East through democratic and peaceful means. Sikhs are aware of the seriousness of the Naga issue and condemn the strong-arm tactics of the Indian state machinery.”

Naam Tamilar Katchi leader Seeman, speaking on the phone line with this correspondent said, “the rights of the Nagas must be protected. We protest this violation of a human rights defender’s right to travel.”

Human rights activist Jagmohan Singh said, “This is yet another move to scuttle the protests against the CAA and NRC. It is not so simple as it looks. The government of India is not serious about the Peace accord. Ravinder Narayana Ravi -the Naga governor and the interlocutor of the peace process is silent since the last few weeks. He is playing ping pong with the NSCN (IV Muivah) leadership and will ultimately back out. That is my fear.”

.All the human rights defenders have said that “The insult to dignity and denial of travel rights for the NPMHR leader is yet another sign of the Indian government’s disrespect towards and backtracking from the ceasefire and the framework agreement.”

Expressing deep concern, the civil libertarians said: “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.”

“We 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 and allow Krome to travel to any country of his choice,” added the note signed by Medha Patkar, NAPM, Syeda Hameed, Former Member, Planning Commission, New Delhi, Tapan Bose, Pakistan India People’s Forum for Peace & Democracy, Dr Sunilam, Socialist front, Ashok Choudhary, All India Union of Forest Working People, Uttar Pradesh, Arun Roy, MKSS, T. Peter, National Fishworkers Forum, Kerala, John Dayal, Analyst and author, New Delhi, Vijayan MJ, PIPFPD, New Delhi, Rita Manchanda, Research Scholar, New Delhi, Roma, AIUFWP, Gauhar Siraj, Prof. Sushil Khanna, Academic, Kolkata, Sushoba Barve, Social and peace activist, Priya Pillai, Environmentalist, Manoranjan Mohanty, Academic and Author, New Delhi, Haris Kidwai, New Delhi, Jatin Desai, Senior Journalist, Mumbai, Adv. Clifton D’Rozario, Manthan Law, Bangalore, Dinesh Mohan, Academic, New Delhi, Dunu Roy, Researcher and Writer, New Delhi, Aswathy Padmasenan, The Research Collective, New Delhi, Adv. Aradhna Bhargava, Madhya Pradesh, Rajkumar Sinha, Chutka Parmaanu Virodhi Sangharsh Samiti, Nikhil Dey, Rajasthan,  Shankar Singh, Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS), National Campaign for People’s Right to Information, Kavita Srivastava, People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL); Kailash Meena, P. Chennaiah, Andhra Pradesh Vyavasaya Vruthidarula Union-APVVU, Ramakrishnam Raju, United Forum for RTI and NAPM, Chakri (Samalochana), Balu Gadi (RSV), Bapji Juvvala, NAPM Andhra Pradesh; Kamayani Swami, Bihar, Ashish Ranjan, Jan Jagran Shakti Sangathan, Mahendra Yadav, Kosi Navnirman Manch, Sister Dorothy, Aashray Abhiyan, Gautam Bandopadhyay, Nadi Ghati Morcha; Chhatisgarh, Kaladas Dahariya, RELAA, Rajendra Ravi, NAPM: New Delhi, Bhupender Singh Rawat, Jan Sangharsh Vahini, Anjali Bharadwaj, New Delhi, Amrita Johri, Satark Nagrik Sangathan, Sanjeev Kumar, Dalit Adivasi Shakti Adhikar Manch, Anita Kapoor, Delhi Shahri Mahila Kaamgaar Union, Sunita Rani, National Domestic Workers Union, Nanhu Prasad, National Cyclist Union, Madhuresh Kumar, Priya Pillai, Aryaman Jain, New Delhi, Divyansh Khurana, New Delhi, Evita Das, New Delhi, Anil TV, Delhi Solidarity Group, Anand Mazgaonkar, Gujarat, Swati Desai, Gujarat, Krishnakant, Gujarat, Parth, Gujarat, Nita Mahadev, Gujarat, Mudita, Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti, Lok Samiti, Gujarat, Dev Desai, Gujarat, Mujahid Nafees, Gujarat, Ramesh Tadvi, Gujarat, Aziz Minat, Gujarat, Bharat Jambucha, Faisal Khan, Haryana, Khudai Khidmatgar, Haryana, J S Walia, Haryana, Dayamani Barla, Aadivasi-Moolnivasi Astivtva Raksha Samiti, Jharkhand, Basant Hetamsaria, Jharkhand, Aloka Kujur, Jharkhand, Dr. Leo A. Singh, Jharkhand, Afzal Anish, Jharkhand, Sushma Biruli, Jharkhand, Durga Nayak, Jharkhand, Jipal Murmu, Jharkhand, Priti Ranjan Dash, Jharkhand, Ashok Verma, Jharkhand, Sister Celia, Domestic Workers Union;  Karnataka, Maj Gen (Retd) S.G.Vombatkere, Karnataka, Nawaz, Karnataka, Dwiji, Karnataka, Nalini, Karnataka, Suniti SR, Maharashtra, Suhas Kolhekar, Maharashtra, Prasad Bagwe, Maharashtra, Bilal Khan, Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan, Mumbai, Sanjay Mango, Maharashtra, Mukta Srivastava, Maharashtra, Yuvraj Gatkal, Maharashtra, Chetan Salve, Maharashtra, Jameela, Maharashtra, Geetanjali Chavan, Maharashtra, Prafulla Samantara, Lok Shakti Abhiyan; Odisha, Lingraj Azad, Samajwadi Jan Parishad & Niyamgiri Suraksha Samiti, Odisha, Manorama Khatua, Ant-Posco Movement, Odisha, Lingaraj Pradhan, Odisha, Satya banchor, Odisha, Anant, Odisha, Kalyan Anand, Odisha, Arun Jena, Odisha, Trilochan Punji, Odisha, Lakshimipriya Mohanty and Balakrishna Sand, Odisha, Manas Patnaik, Odisha, Guruwant Singh, Punjab, Gabriele Dietrich, Tamil Nadu, Penn Urimay Iyakkam, Madurai, Geetha Ramakrishnan, Unorganised Sector Workers Federation: Tamil Nadu, Suthanthiran, Tamil Nadu, Arul Doss, Tamil Nadu, Jeevan Kumar & Syed Bilal (Human Rights Forum), Telangana, P. Shankar (Dalit Bahujan Front), Telangana, Vissa Kiran Kumar & Kondal (Rythu Swarajya Vedika),Telangana, Ravi Kanneganti (Rythu JAC), Telangana, Ashalatha (MAKAAM), Telangana, Krishna (Telangana Vidyavantula Vedika-TVV), M. Venkatayya (Telangana Vyavasaya Vruttidarula Union-TVVU), Meera Sanghamitra, Rajesh Serupally, Vilayodi Venugopal, Kerala, CR Neelakandan, Kerala, Prof. Kusumam Joseph, Kerala, Sharath Cheloor, Kerala, Vijayaraghavan, Cheliya, Kerala, Majeendran, Kerala, Magline, Kerala, Sandeep Pandey, Uttar Pradesh, Richa Singh, Sangatin Kisaan Mazdoor Sangathan; Uttar Pradesh, Arundhati Dhuru, Uttar Pradesh, Rajeev Yadav, Rihai Manch, Uttar Pradesh, Suresh Rathaur, Uttar Pradesh, Arvind Murti, Uttar Pradesh, Satish Singh, Uttar Pradesh, Jagriti Rahi, Uttar Pradesh, Altamas Ansari, Uttar Pradesh, Zainab Khatun, Uttar Pradesh, Rambeti, Uttar Pradesh, Nakul Singh Sawney, Uttar Pradesh, Mashiuddin, Uttar Pradesh, Vimal Bhai, Matu Jan sangathan; Uttrakhand, Jabar Singh, Uttrakhand, Uma, Uttrakhand, Samar Bagchi, West Bengal, Binayak Sen, West Bengal, Sujato Bhadro, West Bengal, Pradip Chatterjee, West Bengal, Pasarul Alam, West Bengal, Amitava Mitra, West Bengal, Tapas Das, West Bengal, Tahomina Mandal, West Bengal, Pabitra Mandal, West Bengal, Kazi Md. Sherif, West Bengal, Biswajit Basak, West Bengal, Ayesha Khatun, West Bengal, Rupak Mukherjee, West Bengal, Milan Das, West Bengal, Asit Roy, West Bengal, Mita Bhatta, West Bengal, Yasin, West Bengal, Matiur Rahman, West Bengal, Baiwajit Basak, West Bengal, Amit Kumar-Student, Faculty of Law, Delhi University, Sathish Kumar, General Secretary, socialist workers Centre, Tamilnadu, Sundara Babu, Researcher, Tamil Nadu, Vinod Koshy, Dynamic Action, Kerala, Poonam -General secretary, Pragatisheel Mahila Sangathan Delhi, Dr Mrigank and IFTU Delhi Committee.