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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Framed to Die: The Case of Stan Swamy
Marking a month since Stan Swamy passed away in judicial custody in a private hospital, a month in which no official inquiry, even the mandated magisterial inquest, has not been initiated, Framed to die: The case of Stan Swamy documents the manner in which Stan Swamy...
Why recent judgments in UAPA cases represent limited victory
THEY COULD STRENGTHEN THE STRUGGLE AGAINST THE DRACONIAN LAW, BUT ACCESS TO JUDICIARY REMAINS RESTRICTED FOR THOUSANDS INCARCERATED UNDER IT. In the past week, three seminal judgments involving the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA) have been delivered....
Clause By Clause, Taking Liberties With Human Liberty
AMONG ALL OUR LAWS, SECTION 43D(2) OF UAPA IS ARGUABLY THE MOST VIOLATIVE OF PRINCIPLES OF JUSTICE-IT TOTALLY ECLIPSES PROCEDURAL FAIRNESS, AND PERMITS PRE-TRIAL INCARCERATION UP TO 180 DAYS Article 21 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to life and...
Why even CCTV cameras in police stations won’t guarantee justice for victims of custodial violence
IN THE ABSENCE OF CLEAR LEGAL MECHANISMS ENSURING ACCESS AND TRANSPARENCY, IT WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE TO HOLD THE POLICE ACCOUNTABLE. On January 27, the Supreme Court has called for responses from all states and Union Territories on its judgement ordering that CCTV cameras...
THIRD WAVE OF COVID OUTBREAK IN DELHI NECESSITATES CONTINUED DECONGESTION OF PRISONS
DELHI PRISONS MUST BE DECONGESTED AMID COVID, AS A REMINDER THAT PRISONERS TOO HAVE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO LIFE. We are presently in the midst of the third wave of COVID outbreak, which, by all accounts, is worse than before. The WHO has reported the highest daily...
Latest Press Statements
Review Death Penalty Punishments in Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023
People’s Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR) raises concern over the increased number of offences punishable by death in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS, 2023). Tabled in the Parliament in August, the BNS is slated to replace the existing Indian Penal Code (IPC, 1860)...
Why was the registration of Bellsonica Union cancelled for including contract workers as members?
Approximately two weeks ago, on Saturday, 23 September 2023, the Labour Department, Haryana, issued a notice cancelling the registration of the Bellsonica Auto Component India Employees’ Union at Manesar. Bellsonica is a Tier-1 company which produces components...
Free Niyamgiri! Stop Arrests, Illegal Detentions and Attacks on NSS and the People of Kashipur!
Since 5 August 2023, the people of Niyamgiri, particularly those associated with the Niyamgiri Suraksha Samiti (NSS), have been the target of a virulent attack in the form of disappearances, arbitrary arrests, police raids and the use of unlawful force against...
PUDR welcomes the release on bail of Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira today, but protests onerous bail conditions
People’s Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR) welcomes the Supreme Court order granting bail on merits and release of Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira, two of the accused in the infamous Bhima Koregaon case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). In a...
Five years behind bars for five activists
Without bail, without charges being framed, without justice! Release all 15-surviving accused in the Bhima Koregaon case. June 6, 2023 will mark five years that five activists are behind bars. They include Mahesh Raut, an anti-displacement campaigner, Rona Wilson, a...