A report on workers in 'Gig' Economy.

The 75th Independence Day of India is practically the first for workers in the country without the official protection of crucial labour laws, like the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, the Factories Act, 1948 among others. Some of these laws are as old as the country’s independence itself, and all of them, in principle, aimed to safeguard workers’ basic rights and the condition of their freedom.

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 was framed, fettered, and finally forced towards a fatal illness under due process of law called Unlawful Activities (Prevention

They could strengthen the struggle against the draconian law, but access to judiciary remains restricted for thousands incarcerated under it.

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

In the absence of clear legal mechanisms ensuring access and transparency, it will be impossible to hold the police accountable.