Press Statements
Condemning the Vigilante Action at the Patiala House Courts, Delhi
15 Feb, 2016PUDR strongly condemns the shocking acts of physical violence and abuse perpetrated by 40 advocates and BJP MLA OP Sharma against students and faculty of the Jawaharlal Nehru University and media persons today, at the Patiala House court, in full presence of the police. Students, teachers and media persons had gathered as arrested...
PUCL Delhi Condemns the Action of Delhi Police in Arresting JNUSU President on Charges of Sedition.
12 Feb, 2016It is shocking that the Delhi Police has arrested the President of the Jawahar Lal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) on the charges of ‘sedition’ –a provision of law about which Jawahar Lal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, had said in 1951, “Now, as far as I am concerned, that particular Section is highly ob...
The Police must be held Answerable for the Sangam Park Riot of 31st January
03 Feb, 2016People’s Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR) strongly condemns the police’s role in the outbreak of riots between members of the Valmiki and Muslim communities, in the Sangam Park area in North West Delhi, on 31st January, 2016. PUDR’s investigation into the incidents of 30th and 31st January, and meetings with residents and ...
Rohith Vemula, A Scholar of Hyderabad University, Committed Suicide
01 Feb, 2016On 17th January, 2016, a Dalit Ph.D. scholar of Hyderabad University, Rohith Vemula committed suicide in one of the hostel rooms. He was one of 5 research scholars who had been suspended in August, 2015 for allegedly attacking a student leader of the Akhil Baharathi Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and later forced to vacate the hostel. ...
Amnesty International Human Rights Award 2016 goes to Henri Tiphagne Award ceremony to be held on April 25 at the Maxim Gorki Theatre in Berlin, Germany
25 Jan, 2016Indian lawyer and human rights defender Henri Tiphagne will be awarded the 8th Human Rights Award by Amnesty International Germany. The award, which will be presented at an official ceremony on April 25 at the Maxim Gorki Theatre in Berlin, is a recognition of Henri Tiphagne’s exceptional commitment to human rights. “For many ...
PUCL TN & Pondicherry
20 Jan, 2016PUCL – Tamil Nadu state unit views with serious concern the alarmingly rampant caste and communal discrimination prevalent at the Institutes of higher learning in India. The poignant suicide note of Rohith Chakravarthy Vemula – a Ph.D. scholar of Life sciences at University of Hyderabad has sent shock waves across the Coun...
PUCL Chhattisgarh severely condemns the incident of sexual violence against adivasi women of Village Kunna, Pedapara, Block Chhindgarh, District Sukma during searching operations on 12th January.
18 Jan, 2016Chhattisgarh PUCL severely condemns the incident of sexual violence against adivasi women of Village Kunna, Pedapara, Block Chhindgarh, District Sukma during searching operations on 12th January. It expresses serious concern at the increasing incidents of sexual violence against women becoming a part of the anti-Naxal operations i...
Condemn Casteist Actions of Hyderabad University Authorities
18 Jan, 2016PUDR strongly condemns the authorities of the Central University of Hyderabad for their caste based victimisation of Dalit students, which, on 17th January, 2016, resulted in Rohith Vemula, a Dalit Research Scholar in Science Technology and Society Studies in the University, committing suicide. Rohith was one of five Dalit researc...
Parting Letter of Rohith Vemula, 17.1.2016 (found after his death)
17 Jan, 2016Good morning, I would not be around when you read this letter. Don’t get angry on me. I know some of you truly cared for me, loved me and treated me very well. I have no complaints on anyone. It was always with myself I had problems. I feel a growing gap between my soul and my body. And I have become a monster. I always wanted t...
Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer First Human Right Award 2015
09 Dec, 2015Justice Rajindar Sachar (Retd.), former President, Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), was presented a Cheque of Rs. one Lakh (Rs. 1,00,000/-) for his work for Human Right by Justice Sukumaran of Kerala High Court at a function by Forum for Democracy and Communal Amity (F.D.C.A.) held at Kochi (Kerala) on 04 th December, 201...