25 years of PUCL

PUCL Bulletin, November 2001

25 Years
-- By Y.P. Chhibbar

Also see,
A Saga of fedication By Krishna Kant.

People's Union for Civil Liberties completed 25 years of its existence on October 17, 2001. Lok Nayak Jaya Prakash Narayan founded the People's Union for Civil Liberties and Democratic Rights (PUCLDR) in 1976. Acharya J.B. Kripalani inaugurated it on October 17. Shri V.M. Tarkunde was its Working President and Shri Krishan Kant the General Secretary. The name of the organisation was changed to the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) in 1980 when its Constitution was adopted and it was made a membership organisation.

The PUCL has made a mark in these 25 years as a pioneer organisation in the country in the defence of Civil Liberties and Human Rights. It has today eighteen State branches and in many States a number of active district branches also. It's monthly journal, the PUCL Bulletin, is in its 236th issue.
It has been holding a JP Memorial Lecture every year on March 23 to mark the day the Emergency was lifted in 1977. In the same function it also gives the 'Journalism for Human Rights Award' to a journalist for the best coverage of a Human Rights situation in that calendar year. Twenty-one lectures in the series have been held and twenty journalism awards have been given.
The PUCL finances all its activities with funds raised from members and sympathisers. It does not accept funds from any funding agency, Indian or Foreign.

The National PUCL and the Delhi State branch jointly organised a function on October 17 at the Constitution Club to mark the day. Shri K.G. Kannabiran presided over the function and Shri Krishan Kant, who is at present the Vice-President of India, was the Chief guest. Shri Rajni Kothari and Shri Rajindar Sachar, former Presidents of the PUCL, were also on the dais. All the members of the PUCL who worked shoulder to shoulder with JP were invited to the function, besides all present members of the PUCL.

Gopa Joshi initiated the proceedings. Y.P. Chhibbar gave a brief history of the organisation and Shri R.B. Mehrotra, President of Delhi PUCL thanked the guests

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