Free Niyamgiri: Stop Arrests, Illegal Detentions and Attacks on NSS and the People of Kashipur!

In a blatantly repressive move aimed at foiling public protest at Shaheedi Park at noon today in support of the countrywide chakka jam called by the Kisan Unions, the Delhi police has prevented the movements of left union leaders and taken some into preventive custody since late last night and early morning.

PUDR condemns the Haryana Government and the Police for filing cases against farmers protesting against the three farmers and Electricity Act.  As per various news reports, Haryana Police have registered cases at Sadar Ambala PS, Baldev Nagar Ambala PS and Dabwali PS against Bhartiya Kisan Union and other farmers' organizations for allegedly breaking police checkpoints and entering Haryana during the 'Delhi chalo' campaign.

On August 18, a report titled “Corporate Loot and People’s Resistance in Niyamgiri” was released at the CDRO Convention on UAPA and other Draconian Law held in Jalandhar, Punjab.  The report is an outcome of a joint fact-finding visit by a 16-member team from April 26-28, 2019 from All India Coordination of Democratic Rights Organization (CDRO) and Ganatantrik Adhikar Suraksha Sangathan, Odisha (GASS) to villages of the Niyamgiri area in both Raygada and Kalahandi districts of Odisha.

PUDR expresses shock and concern at the manner in which the Office of the Superintendent of Police, Kalahandi in Odisha is issuing threats and intimidation of encounter deaths to public spirited individuals and professionals in the Niyamgiri region in the course of their regular discharge of duty. A forty-year old journalist, Padmanabha Choudhury has been threatened to

A 16-member fact-finding team of All India Coordination of Democratic Rights Organisation (CDRO) and Ganatantrik Adhikar Suraksha Sangathan, Odisha (GASS) had been to Niyamgiri area and Vedanta Plant site, Lanjigada and spent three days from 26^th to 28^th April, 2019 there. All members got divided into two teams. One team visited various villages of Niyamgiri like Lakpadar, Belang Mandal and Dangamati to investigate violation of human rights in the region.

PUDR strongly condemns the attacks on migrants from Bihar, UP and Madhya Pradesh, who are being forced to flee from Gujarat as a result of violence unleashed by the Thakor community. About 50,000 Hindi speaking migrants have left Gujarat and returned to their native states the attacks began. Without jobs and homes, destitution stares them in the face.

22nd May 2018 shook the conscience of all the citizens of India when the news of police firing on anti-Sterlite protestors in Tuticorin (Thoothukodi) in TamilNadu and killing 15 of them reached the citizens through different news channels and media reports.

Between the 5th and 7th of May 2018, a combined fact-finding team of 40 members from the Coordination for Democratic Rights Organisation (CDRO), Indian Association of Peoples’ Lawyers (IAPL) and Women against Sexual Violence and State Repression (WSS) visited the district of Gadchiroli in Maharashtra.

PUDR notes with concern the intimidation of the residents of Kathputli colony by the Delhi police since the night of 18 December. While Police presence was visible in and around Kathputli colony for the past few days, the police were deployed in large numbers (approx. 250 police personnel) on 18th night and barricades around the colony were erected. The next morning, on 19 December, DDA officials along with the police went to get the signatures of some residents who have decided to shift to a transit camp at Anand Parbat.