People’s Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR) stands in solidarity with People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) and other human rights organizations and joins them in expressing disapproval of the remarks made by a Special NIA Sessions Court, Lucknow. The court made a series of adverse, unsubstantiated comments on human rights organizations in an attempt to undermine their work. It criticized these bodies for providing legal aid – particularly to those accused under UAPA, primarily the Muslims – as being in contravention of constitutional principles, and for making unwarranted interference in the judicial process. The court also expressed skepticism about the fact-finding missions conducted by them.
The history of democratic rights organizations bears witness to the role they have played in protecting, extending, and helping to implement the Fundamental Rights guaranteed by the Constitution, as well as in raising awareness about the same. These groups have continually worked to make the Directive Principles of State Policy enforceable and justiciable, of which legal aid is a part. The people’s rights jurisprudence in this country owes much to the Public Interest Litigations filed by such organizations, which have resulted in the recognition of the rights of workers, the right to food, the right to the NOTA vote, the human rights of prisoners on death row, and accountability in cases of police encounters, to name a few.
PUDR urges the court to recognize that Rights organizations form the bedrock of any democratic society by voicing people’s opinions and protecting people’s rights against the excesses of power, thereby upholding the Rule of Law.
PUDR endorses PUCL’s demand to expunge the court’s remarks.
Harish Dhawan and Paramjeet Singh
(Secretaries)
