Press Statements
Say No To Social Sector Budget Cuts - Public Forum
01 Dec, 2013Dear friends and colleagues, Yesterday (11 December 2013) the Pension Parishad organised a forum to discuss the proposed “fiscal consolidation” that will lead to huge social sector budget cuts. The Rural Development Minister Shri. Jayram Ramesh has described these as “savage cuts” that “will severely jeopardies the imple...
SC notice to Centre, West Bengal over IT Act
23 Nov, 2013The Supreme Court on Friday sought response from the Centre and the West Bengal government over a PIL challenging a provision in the Information Technology Act that provides for a maximum three-year jail term for posting offensive online speeches or writings. A Bench led by Justice R M Lodha issued notices to the state government ...
“NWMI Demands Institutional Redress of Sexual Harassment and Assault” Atonement is Insufficient: The Rule of Law Must Prevail
21 Nov, 201321 November 2013 Recent developments at the weekly news magazine Tehelka demonstrate that media houses have a long way to go in ensuring safety for women media professionals. A journalist working with Tehelka revealed that she was sexually assaulted by the editor, Tarun Tejpal, on two occasions on 7 and 8 November 2013. The repeat...
Statement jointly issued by womens’ rights organisations and citizens groups at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi at a protest demonstration against Narendra Modi government’s snooping of woman in Gujarat
18 Nov, 2013We strongly condemn the illegal, unconstitutional and essentially anti-women snooping conducted by the Gujarat government as revealed in the recent media expose’. We collectively demand that a CBI inquiry should be initiated in the case at the earliest as it concerns the future of our democracy and polity. The direct involvement...
CM Narendra Modi’s Tacit Admission of Fear: Detains Activists without Charges Ahead of his Visit
13 Oct, 2013On 30th October 2013, 4 activists, Rohit Prajapati, Trupti Shah, Amrish Brahmbhatta and Sudhir Biniwale were put under house arrest by Rajpipla police even before they had reached the venue of the symbolic protest, in their own houses (not at the venue of the CM’s public meeting). The symbolic protest was to be in the form of a ...
Racial Tagging and the Mysterious Death of Reingamphi Awungsi
01 Sep, 2013Notwithstanding extreme summer heat, many from the Northeast residing in Delhi had taken onto the street, and spent at least 24 hours at the Malvia Nagar Police Station protesting ‘racial tagging’ after death of a migrant ‘worker’ Miss Reingamphi Awungshi and demanding justice. Miss Reingamphi Awungshi (26) (15-07- 1987 to...
Press Release by Toxics Watch Alliance (TWA), and Khet Bachao Jeevan Bachao Jan Sangharsh Committee (KBJBJC), Vaishali
01 Mar, 2013Bihar Chief Minister promises to ‘puncture’ construction of asbestos factories Chief Minister’s environment friendly intervention welcomed Memorandum demands stoppage of asbestos factory and withdrawal of fake cases Patna/New Delhi February 14, 2013: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar met the leaders of ban asbestos movement ...
Is India on the Path to become a Land of Serial Executions?
01 Mar, 2013The PUCL strongly condemns the rejection by the President of India of the commutation petitions of Simon, Meesakara Mathayan, Bilavendran and Gnanaprakasam. Equally condemnable is the action of the Prison Authorities of Belgaum Central Prison, Karnataka who in the morning of 13.2.2013 merely intimated orally to the convicts of the...
Judicial Delays in Rape Cases
01 Mar, 2013Colonial era sedition law contained in section 124 A of the Indian Penal Code makes creating hatred or contempt for or disaffection towards the government established by Law in India, an act of sedition punishable with imprisonment for life, whether such disaffection, hatred or contempt is created by words spoken or written or by ...
PUCL Statement on the Hanging of Afzal Guru
09 Feb, 2013The PUCL condemns the hanging of Afzal Guru in Tihar Jail early in the morning (9.2.2013) today. The tearing hurry, with which Afzal Guru was hanged, accompanied by the flouting of all established norms by not giving his family their legal right to meet him before taking him to the gallows, clearly indicates that there were politi...