About PUCL

People’s Union for Civil Liberties is the guardian of the nation’s conscience. Established under the aegis of Jaya Prakash Narayan, the PUCL has worked tirelessly over the last 30 years to protect the powerless and help create a truly democratic and just society.

CONCIOUSNESS

Increase consciousness about and commitment to human rights and civil liberties among all sections of people.

COME TOGETHER

Provide a platform for all groups and individuals to come together and further the cause of human rights.

COURTS & PRESS

Energise and creatively use existing institutions like the courts and the press, so that they may become more sensitive to the human rights situation in India.

INTERVENTIONS

Intervene directly in cases where gross violations of human rights take place.

Our Founders

Jayaprakash Narayan

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Jayaprakash Narayan

Jayaprakash Narayan (11 October 1902 – 8 October 1979), popularly referred to as JP or Lok Nayak, was an Indian independence activist, theorist, socialist and political leader. He is remembered for leading the mid-1970s opposition against Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, for whose overthrow he had called for a “total revolution”.

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Krishan Kant

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Jayaprakash Narayan

Jayaprakash Narayan (11 October 1902 – 8 October 1979), popularly referred to as JP or Lok Nayak, was an Indian independence activist, theorist, socialist and political leader. He is remembered for leading the mid-1970s opposition against Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, for whose overthrow he had called for a “total revolution”.

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V.M. Tarkunde

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Jayaprakash Narayan

Jayaprakash Narayan (11 October 1902 – 8 October 1979), popularly referred to as JP or Lok Nayak, was an Indian independence activist, theorist, socialist and political leader. He is remembered for leading the mid-1970s opposition against Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, for whose overthrow he had called for a “total revolution”.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • Q1. What is the PUCL?
    A. The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) is one of India’s largest human rights organisations. It was formed in 1976 by socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan and many other individuals, as the People’s Union for Civil Liberties and Democratic Rights (PUCLDR). Jayaprakash Narayan originally intended PUCL to be an organisation free from political ideologies, bringing those concerned about defending civil liberties and human rights from different backgrounds onto a common platform. 
  • Q2. What does the PUCL do?
    A. The PUCL works with advocates, activists and people from various backgrounds across India to defend human rights enshrined in the Indian Constitution.Our primary functions are:

    • Increase consciousness about and commitment to human rights and civil liberties among all sections of people
    • Provide a platform for all groups as well as individuals to come together and further the cause of human rights
    • Energise and creatively use existing institutions like the courts and the press, so that they may become more sensitive to the human rights situation in India; and
    • Intervene directly in cases where gross violations of human rights take place
  • Q3. What are the major areas of PUCL activity?
    A. Since 1980, the PUCL has established functioning branches in many states of India. Some of these branches have been successful in mobilising public opinion through demonstrations, while others have successfully pursued public interest litigation in courts. The major areas of activity include:

    • Mobilising public opinion towards protecting civil liberties in the country.
    • Conducting investigations into human rights violations and publishing the findings of these investigations as reports with press releases or in the PUCL Bulletin, and also making them public by other means such as public meetings.
    • Filing petitions, either on the basis of these investigations or otherwise. The ensuing cases are prepared and argued by our lawyer members in local courts, High Courts, or even the Supreme Court. These lawyers bear all the expenses of fighting these cases from their own pocket.

    The PUCL organises seminars, lectures, public meetings, etc. aimed at focusing on the problems relevant to our areas of work. The organisation has raised its voice against various oppressive laws and retrogressive Constitutional amendments.

    The PUCL has been actively taking up environmental issues, and in particular the rights of those affected adversely by developmental projects. We have, from time to time, taken the issues to court at various levels. The PUCL has also taken up the cause of slum residents, pavement dwellers and other marginalised communities.

  • Q4. How can I join the PUCL?
    A.You can get involved with the PUCL in a number of ways – by becoming a PUCL member, by supporting us monetarily, by volunteering your time as an intern, or by joining one of our campaigns. You can also choose to stay informed about the PUCL and learn more about what we do in order to understand how you can contribute. Please do note that the PUCL is run entirely on volunteer contributions and will not be able to offer paid internships.
  • Q5. What does the PUCL look like, as an organisation?
    A. The PUCL is an Association of Persons headquartered in Delhi, with branches in more than ten states across India. We have a three-tier structure, with a general body known as the National Convention as the base, and the National Council and National Executive Committee which elect the office bearers. These office bearers are elected according to the provisions of the PUCL’s Constitution, and carry out the organisation’s policy and programmes, and include a National President, National General Secretary, and Treasurer, as well as several National Vice-Presidents, National Secretaries, and Organising Secretaries.The National Council also establishes the State branches which follow the same organisational pattern as the national organisation. The officer bearers of each State branch organise and coordinate its working, including establishing local branches at the district, city, and town level.

  • Q6. How is the PUCL funded?
    A. As a matter of policy, the PUCL does not accept money from any funding agency, whether Indian or foreign. All expenses are met by our members, office bearers, and activists from their pocket. For the expenses towards the activities of the national office money is raised from sympathisers and members by way of donations.Any voluntary organisation which is not “funded” is always short of finances. As a result, it cannot do many things that it would like to, and cannot always pursue a matter to its logical end. In a nutshell, the work of any such organisation is always, in a manner of speaking, incomplete. The PUCL believes that all such organisations have to work in a sort of collaboration, with one organisation taking up a problem from where another left it. They also have to treat the media as yet another wing of the movement for civil liberties and human rights.

  • Q7. How does the PUCL function?
    A. Whenever any incident occurs or is anticipated, and it falls/ may fall within the purview of the PUCL, the organisation gears up at the appropriate level, e.g. town, district, or national. Our history bears testimony to Innumerable investigations, reports, responses, protest marches, educative meetings, press statements, memoranda, and timely publication of relevant literature. These deal with either the wholesale suppression of civil liberties and human rights or with issues concerning specific sections of society, such as women, children, tribal communities, Dalits, other deprived sections, agricultural labourers, bonded labourers, mine workers, slum dwellers, etc..It must be reiterated that the PUCL is not concerned with political matters, but only with the civil liberty or human rights aspect of an issue or situation. You can read about how PUCL appoints teams to investigate various issues in this note.

  • Q8. What kind of memberships does the PUCL offer?
    A. You can be either an Annual Member, a Life Member, or a Patron of the PUCL. However, these three types do not represent any hierarchy. While all members are equal, becoming a Life member or a Patron is simply an opportunity to contribute more to the PUCL and help strengthen its financial position.No PUCL membership carries any privilege, and all members shoulder the burden of fulfilling the aims and objects of the PUCL as per the programme of their respective branches. Also, the PUCL does not issue any identity cards to its members as they are not expected to take up any independent initiatives.

  • Q9. How does the PUCL maintain membership records?
    A. The national office of the PUCL maintains regular records of membership to facilitate its elections and National Conventions. These records comprise cards measuring 4 inches by 5 inches containing the member’s name and address, which can be easily, alphabetically arranged. The offices of various state branches similarly arrange their membership cards by district.If you observe the address label on the ‘Bulletin, you will see a number on top of your name [Example: 01/7/99/MB]. This number on top of every address gives us postal division into the Capital city of the State and the rest (This you do not need). This is a postal requirement for bulk mailing of letters or the ‘Bulletin). The second number is the month of joining, and the third number is the year when the subscription was paid. The alphabet(s) that follow are code(s) that denote(s) the type of membership.

    These codes are:

    • M – Annual member of PUCL
    • MB – Annual member and subscriber to the PUCL Bulletin
    • L – Life member
    • LB – Life member and subscriber to the PUCL Bulletin;
    • P – Patron member
    • PB – Patron member and subscriber to the PUCL Bulletin
    • S – Student member or those belonging to economically weaker sections [clause 3(c) of the Constitution]
    • I – Institutions, Libraries, Offices
    • D – Donors
  • Q10. What does the PUCL publish?
    A.The PUCL library includes ad-hoc publications in the form of Articles, Books, Editorials, Memoranda, Open Letters, Press Releases, and Reports. We solicit the articles and editorials from time to time, from PUCL members. The memoranda, open letters, and press releases may be published by any of the state branches or the National branch based on the scope and scale of the issue. Likewise, whenever an investigation is carried out by the PUCL, we put together our findings as reports. Occasionally, PUCL members may publish books based on their experiences.We also regularly bring out monthly bulletins, which comprise a number of articles and opinions on the most pressing issues. These articles are penned by PUCL members from different states who may sometimes have years of experience working on the issue or relevant expertise.

  • Q11. Are any PUCL publications available in print?
    A. We have printed copies of our bulletins and reports in the past, besides which some copies of books published by PUCL members may be available. You can write to the PUCL National General Secretary to order the necessary copies.
  • Q12. I am facing a civil liberties/ human rights issue. Can PUCL help me?
    A. If you feel your civil liberties have been suppressed, or any human rights denied, you can certainly reach out to your local PUCL branch. See the Get Involved page for a list of PUCL state branches and their contact details.

Finance & Working

As a matter of policy, the PUCL does not accept money from any Funding Agency, Indian or Foreign. All the expenses are met by the members, the office bearers, and the activists from their pocket. For the expenses on the activities by the national office money is raised from sympathisers and members by way of donations.

  • Q1. Guidelines for investigations
    A. Whenever any incident falling within the objectives of the PUCL takes place or a situation is anticipated the organisation gears up at the appropriate level. Innumerable investigations, reports, reactions, protest marches, educative meetings, press statements, memoranda, publication of literature, etc., are on record. These concern suppression of civil liberties and human rights in general or concerning sections of the society (e.g. women, children, tribals, Dalits, other deprived sections, agricultural labourers, bonded labourers, mine workers, slum dwellers, etc.).It must be reiterated that the PUCL is not concerned with political matters, but only with the civil liberty/human rights aspect of a question or situation.

  • Q2. (A) Procedure for appointment of teams
    A. An investigation team by a local branch can be appointed on some local issue.An Investigation team by a state branch can be appointed on some issue or incident at any place in the state. If a local branch exists at that place, the state branch takes it into confidence and co-ordinates with it. The team should be appointed in a meeting of the Executive, or in consultation with the members of the Executive (if they live in different cities and towns), after consultations between the President and the Secretary of the State Branch and the President/Secretary of the local branch concerned.

    In special cases, the President and the Secretary may take the decision and inform the Executive in the next meeting.

    • All decisions to appoint investigation teams, etc., by a local or a state branch should be conveyed to the State/National office mentioning the issue, etc.
    • Reports considered to be of national importance can be arranged to be released to the Press from Delhi in consultation with the National office.
    • The report, upon completion, should first be submitted by the investigation/study team to the local/State/National office bearers who examine the report and make a decision in relation to any further action required.
    • Four copies of the report should be sent to the National office. An Investigation team by the National PUCL may be appointed on any issue or incident anywhere in the country. The state branch concerned is taken into confidence. All decisions in this regard are to be made by the National Secretariat in Delhi after mutual consultation. If the matter concerns Delhi only, the initiative rests with the Delhi PUCL. But if the issue is deemed to have possible national implications, the National Secretariat may take the initiative in consultation with the Delhi PUCL.
  • Q3. (B) Members qualified to be on the team
    A.

    • Only such people should be appointed who are known as persons of commitment to civil liberties, are objective, judicious, and above sectarian considerations. They should preferably be members of the PUCL.
    • Lawyers, retired members of the judiciary, journalists, college/University teachers, experienced activists would generally prove suited for this type of work. In case of a journalist member, it should be made clear that the member would not write on the matter under investigation till the report is published, and she/he would not write anything at variance with the findings of the team after the publication of the report
    • Members should have team spirit. The number of members of the team should not be very large.
    • No person connected with any of the parties to the dispute/incident under investigation should be included in the team.
    • A lawyer member of the team should not accept the brief of any party to the matter under investigation till the report is published. She/he would be expected to refuse the brief of the party at fault even after the report is published.
    • It is better to have at least three members on a team. No member, on their own initiative, should meet the witnesses separately.
  • Q4. (C) Investigation and writing of the report
    • During the investigation, detailed notes should be taken and as many documents as possible should be collected.
    • As far as possible, all sides of the question or views of all the parties concerned should be examined or explored.
    • Preconceived notions and press reports, etc., should not he allowed to become the basis of the conclusions.
      Wherever necessary, affidavits of the people/groups, adversely affected should be obtained. Attempts should be made to collect unimpeachable evidence.
    • Political rhetoric and unsubstantiated conclusions weaken the report and water down its effect.
    • Defamatory statements or statements which cannot be substantiated by facts should not be made. All facts and figures should be double checked. No enquiry is complete and, therefore, no report can take the form of a judgement.
    • For writing the final report all the members of the team should meet and prepare the report. It should be based on documents and on sound arguments. Conjecture and personal views are better kept out of the report.
    • Following the discussions, the draft should be finalised and signed by all the members. It is then to be handed over to the President/General Secretary of the local/State branch, or the National office, as the case may be. It is only they who can make the report public or take any other action on it.

    Note: If the matter under investigation has wider implications, a report of a local branch can be arranged to be released by the State office.

    Urgent action In the case of an emergency where speedy decisions have to be taken as to whether or not to commit the PUCL to any action or to take any action in the name of PUCL, the President/the General Secretary may take an action after consultations.

    At the State level, if required, the President/the General Secretary should contact the National General Secretary. However, when an occasion demands immediate action at the National level, the Advisor, the President, and the General Secretary are authorised to take such action or issue such statement, jointly or individually, on behalf of PUCL as they, preferably in consultation with each other, deem fit and proper.

  • Q5. Local PUCL journals
    A. Any state branch, if it so wishes, can bring out its own journal, etc.

    • The decision to bring out the journals has to be taken by the local/State Executive.
    • The Declaration of the journal has to be in the name of the President or the General Secretary, as the Executive may decide, as the Publisher. The Editor should be appointed by her/him. The Editor is to be accountable to the Publisher.
    • The President or the General Secretary of the state branch would be the Printer and Publisher.
    • The President/General Secretary of the state branch would ensure that the aims and objects of the PUCL are correctly reflected in the journal.
    • It would be a good policy to carry, as much as possible, the matter published in the PUCL Bulletin published by the National PUCL from Delhi. A copy of every issue should be sent to the National Office. All publications have to reflect the policies of the PUCL. It is the responsibility of the National office to ensure this.
  • Q6. ‘Journalism for human rights’ award
    A. In order to bring awareness about Civil Liberties and Human Rights to budding print journalists and also to bring to light the dedication and the work of those among them already working in the area of human rights, etc., the PUCL instituted in 1981 a prize for Rs. 20000/- known as ‘ Journalism for Human Rights’ Award. A jury of prominent persons selected a journalist from amongst the entries received for his/her work for the Award. Another person was selected for a Special Mention and an Award of Rs. 5000/- From 1981 to 1985 the entire prize money was endowed by India Today published from Delhi. Later the prize money was collected every year by way of donation from members & sympathisers. The Award was however discontinued in 2003. A list is appended at the end.