The civil rights movement in India has emerged as an autonomous voice in defense of civil liberties and democratic rights of our people. The Peoples Union for Democratic Rights, Delhi, is one such organisation. It came into existence in 1977 as the Delhi unit of a larger national forum, PUCLDR, and became PUDR on 1 February, 1981.
“Close to the one-year anniversary of violence in Nuh district, Haryana, PUDR released its report on ongoing state repression in the aftermath of July 31, 2023. Justice Madan Lokur (retd., Supreme Court) and Professor Manoranjan Mohanty (retd., Delhi University) launched “In the wake of Nuh: A report on state repression” on July 29, 2024 at Press Club of India.
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Latest Publications
22nd Annual Dr. Ramanadham Memorial Lecture 2007: Narco Analysis, Torture and Democratic Rights
Every year PUDR organizes a Dr Ramanadham memorial lecture on a topic of contemporary interest. In 2007 the focus was on the issue of Narco Analysis. The present report is the outcome of that meeting. It contains some issues raised by PUDR on the understanding of the...
Through the Lens of National Security
On 14 May 2007, Dr. Binayak Sen, a people’s doctor and a champion of civil liberties in Chhattisgarh, was arrested in Bilaspur. The charges made out against him concerned crimes against the state spanning various sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act...
Missing in Action: A Report on the Judiciary, Justice and Army Impunity in Kashmir
In a recent judgment the Supreme Court of India, in the case of Masooda Parveen versus Union of India, rejected a writ petition under Articles 32 (Right to Constitutional Remedies) and 21 (Protection of life and personal liberty) filed by the wife of one Ghulam...
Narco-Analysis as a Form of Torture and Democratic Rights
This document was prepared by PUDR on the occasion of Dr. Ramanthan Memorial Meeting, dated 15th September 2007. The dubious practice of injecting drugs such as scopolamine, sodium amytal and sodium pentothal has been practised and discarded by a number of countries...
An Invisible Crime: Investigation into Custodial Male Rape at Shakarpur Police Station
The prevalence of male custodial rape in children’s homes, police stations and jails is an incontrovertible fact. However, even the statistics compiled by institutions like the National Commission of Human Rights do not include male custodial rape. Today, a policeman...
Latest Press Statements
Drop NSA charges against Chadrashekhar! Repeal NSA!
Peoples Union for Democratic Rights strongly condemns the imposition of the National Security Act (NSA) against Bhim Army's founder leader Chandrashekhar Azad by Yogi Adityanath's government, on 3 November 2017, a day after he was granted bail by Allahabad High Court....
Do Not Forget The Anti- Sikh Pogrom of 1984!
31 October 2017 - thirty three years have passed since the anti-Sikh pogrom carried out in Delhi between 31st October and 4th November 1984, following the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh body guards. The official figure of those...
‘Love-Jihad’, NIA, and Democratic Rights
As the Hadiya-Shefin matter comes up for hearing today, PUDR urges the Apex court to take note of the serious violation of democratic rights of the parties involved in this so-called case of ‘Love-Jihad’. PUDR believes that the case is being used in order to provide...
PUDR condemns Draconian Ordinance by Rajasthan Government!
PUDR condemns the Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance promulgated by the Rajasthan government on 7 September 2017, preventing magistrates from taking cognizance of complaints against serving and former Judges, Magistrates, and public servants without...
Do not curb our right to protest
Right to protest has been coming under attack under one or other pretext. Earlier public order was the way in which our right to protest was curtailed by imposing IPC Section 144 on large parts of the Delhi city to prevent gathering of more than five persons. People...