Dear Helle Lyng Svendsen, here is a basic lesson in international relations that perhaps needs repeating, a visa is a privilege granted by a sovereign nation, not an entitlement that comes with a passport, a press card or a microphone. India is a sovereign country, not a Dharamshala where every foreign national can demand entry simply because they have something to say.
The Norwegian journalist is apparently having a rather difficult time accepting this reality. Svendsen has been publicly complaining after her Indian visa was reportedly cancelled just minutes before she was due to leave for the airport in Oslo. She was scheduled to attend the Congress-organised Bharat Summit in Hyderabad, where she was invited to speak about media, press freedom and democracy.
I got a visa to India and was supposed to leave this morning to attend the Bharat Summit in Hyderabad. I had been invited as a panelist and speaker on the future of media and press freedom. But «orders from above» in the Ministry of Home Affairs have cancelled my visa. Here is my message for @AmitShah— Helle Lyng (@HelleLyngSvends) November 11, 2026
Taking to social media, she claimed that despite having received a visa and political clearance, the Indian Embassy informed her that she could not travel, allegedly following directions from the Ministry of Home Affairs. She subsequently addressed Home Minister Amit Shah, suggesting that the decision was politically motivated. Yeah, a random Norwegian journalist who keeps talking about India without ever visiting India is relevant to Indian politics, we believe you.
Well, Helle, perhaps the first thing to understand is that India does not owe you an explanation for every administrative decision in the manner you seem to expect. The reasons for the reported cancellation have not been officially disclosed, and it would be premature to claim that your political opinions were necessarily responsible. But that does not change the fundamental principle that India has every right to decide who enters its territory.
Would Norway allow every foreign journalist, activist or political commentator to enter its territory simply because they have obtained an invitation from a local group? Would it surrender its immigration decisions to the demands of someone invoking press freedom? Certainly not.
Every sovereign country has immigration laws, security considerations and the authority to regulate foreign visitors. India is no exception. Democracy does not mean an open-door immigration policy, and freedom of expression does not translate into an automatic right of admission.
There is also something rather amusing about invoking India’s democratic credentials while treating its sovereign right to regulate entry as an affront to democracy.
You are free to question India’s government, criticise its policies and write opinion pieces from Norway. That is your freedom. But India is equally free to decide whether it wishes to host you.
Dear Helle, you may have the freedom to criticise India, but you do not have a birthright to enter India. A visa is permission, not a permanent invitation.
