Undemocratic Laws

Press Statements

15 May 2012

PUDR strongly condemns the ongoing repression by the state on the peaceful protest against the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project in Tamil Nadu

PUDR strongly condemns the ongoing repression by the state on the peaceful protest against the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project in Tamil Nadu particularly since 8 May 2012. It condemns the policy of using tactics of threat and intimidation to crush a democratic movement. The clampdown began shortly after the People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE), which is leading the local struggle, held a meeting in Idinthakarai village on that day with large numbers of the local community.

30 Apr 2012

PUDR Condemns Central Government’s “arrest or kill” policy against Naxalites

PUDR condemns the Central Governments admission of its ‘arrest or kill’ policy against Naxalites, before the Standing Committee on Home Affairs by the Home Secretary, Mr. R.K. Singh on April 4, 2012.

18 Apr 2012

PUDR Releases CDRO Report: The Terror of Law: UAPA and the Myth of National Security

The Terror of Law is a CDRO (Coordination of Democratic Rights Organization) report which shows how and why the UAPA curbs the freedoms provided by Article 19 [Protection of Freedoms] for expression, assembly and association against one section of political opinion. Like its predecessors TADA & POTA did, UAPA virtually disenfranchises a section of the people. The report points out that freedom of expression is not an individual right but a collective right of groups, unions and political parties to disseminate their views and mobilize people.

13 Apr 2012

PUDR Condemns Arrest of Professor Ambikesh Mahapatra of Jadavpur University

PUDR is astounded by the West Bengal government’s latest incident of intolerance of dissent and suppression of democratic rights. Media sources state that a professor of Chemistry at Jadavpur University, Ambikesh Mahapatra, was assaulted by TMC hoodlums at his residence and then arrested on 12th April for allegedly circulating, by email, a political cartoon lampooning the chief minister, Ms. Mamata Banerjee for the rail budget fiasco. A neighbour of the professor, Mr. Subrata Sengupta, has also been picked up. The police has charged Prof.

12 Apr 2012

The right to dissent will not be surrendered.

Condemn the attack on democratic rights activists by TMC goons and Kolkata Police. Drop the false charges and immediately release all anti-eviction and democratic rights activists. Punish the guilty policemen and TMC thugs.

CDRO strongly and unequivocally condemns the attack on APDR members protesting against the Nonadanga slum demolition and the arbitrary arrest of anti-eviction activists.