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.
Sections
Latest Publications
Another ‘Natural’ Death in Tihar: Custodial Death of Jishan and its aftermath
On 15 February 2022, 19 year old Jishan, an undertrial arrested for a petty theft in November 202, died in judicial custody of Delhi’s Tihar Jail. This report is based on PUDR investigation of this incident and its aftermath. The PUDR team spoke to the family and...
Behind the veil of algorithms: Invisible workers
A report on workers in 'Gig' Economy. The growth of the ‘gig’ economy and ‘gig workers’ in India is a phenomenon of the last decade or so. Even though this may not be the fastest growing category of workers, still names like Swiggy, Zomato, Ola, Uber or Urban Company...
The Anti – Labour Codes
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...
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....
Latest Press Statements
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...
Release Gautam Navlakha Immediately! Release all political prisoners.
Today, 14 April 2023 marks four years, seven months and eighteen days since Gautam Navlakha’s arrest on 28 August 2018. A well-known human rights activist, respected journalist and writer of long standing, Gautam has now been incarcerated for three years since 14...
Continuing lynching of cattle traders cause for serious concern
When will the law take action against vigilantes operating with impunity People’s Union for Democratic Rights condemns the killing of Idris Pasha on Friday, 31st March 2023. News reports and social media posts by credible sources testify to the horrifying incident in...
Stop Criminalizing Journalism and Human Rights Activism: Release Irfan Mehraj and Parvez Khurram
PUDR strongly condemns the arrest of Irfan Mehraj, a Srinagar-based freelance journalist and researcher under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) on 20 March 2023 by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the so-called ‘NGO Terror funding...
Prosecute police personnel who admitted to custodial torture in Gujarat
On 3 October 2022, the Special Operations Group (SOG) office picked up 43 Muslim men for allegedly pelting stones at a garba event in front of a Mosque in Undhela village, Kheda, Gujarat. On 4 October 2022, the police brought the men back to their village, and some of...