Several leading Indian dissidents face trumped-up, absurd criminal charges.

Teltumbde is under bail conditions that make it nearly impossible for him to travel even within India. He can only be away from home for up to 18 hours.

He was supposed to speak at the Kerala Literature Festival, which had arranged a way he could come to Calicut (Kozhikode) and speak without being away from home more than 18 hours, but the trip was sabotaged and he could not go there.