About People's Union for Civil Liberties

People’s Union of Civil Liberties aims to bring together all those who are committed to the defence and promotion of civil liberties in India, irrespective of any differences which they may have in regard to political and economic institutions suitable for the country. PUCL strives to uphold and promote by peaceful means civil liberties and the democratic way of life throughout India.

What’s New

13 Feb 2026

PUCL Delhi: Lawyers Round Table on Communal Harmony

India’s unconstitutional silence in the face of the illegal war against Iran is a betrayal of the idea of India

On 12th March, 2026, PUCL wrote an Open Letter to the Prime Minister of India, demanding an end to the government’s silence and condemn the unprovoked attack against Iran in line with India’s constitutional commitments. The letter makes the case that defending international law and speaking for peace is not just a diplomatic choice, but a constitutional responsibility. Click here to read the Open Letter.

Additionally, we released a discussion paper, detailing PUCL’s position. India’s silence in the face of the U.S.–Israel bombing of Iran is not neutrality—it is what the paper calls “silent acquiescence in aggression” and a betrayal of India’s constitutional vision. This discussion paper by the People’s Union for Civil Liberties argues that the attacks violate the United Nations Charter and that India’s failure to condemn them abandons its constitutional duty under Article 51 to promote international peace and respect for international law. At a moment when the rules-based international order is being torn down, the paper asks a stark question: will India defend the idea of “We the People of the United Nations,” or remain complicit through silence?

Click the button below to read the Discussion Paper.

Campaigns

48 years since the Emergency
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National Campaign to Defend Democracy
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Our History

Human rights violations are not just stray or accidental incidents of police brutality or state excess; rather they have become widespread, systemic, and institutionalised. In such a climate, the need of the hour is for citizens to unite and reclaim their power to protest, to defend, and to oppose any actions that attack their fundamental human rights.

PUCL is the largest human rights organisation in the country, striving to defend civil liberties and human rights of all members of society.

1976

NATIONAL SEMINAR

A national seminar was held on October 17, 1976. It was inaugurated by Acharya JB Kripalani. The PUCLDR was a loosely organised group of people who were working with JP. V M Tarkunde was elected President and Krishna Kant General Secretary.

1977

EMERGENCY

The Emergency was lifted.

1977

JANATA PARTY WAS FOUNDED.

The Janata Party, formed with blessings of JP, came to power. A very large number of people who had worked with him assumed power at the centre and an impression started floating that now the liberties of the people were secure. The dynamic element in the PUCLDR subsided. Jaya Prakash Narayan died on October 8, 1979, after a prolonged kidney problem.

1980

ORGANISATION RECHRISTENED AS PUCL

The year 1980 saw the return of Indira Gandhi to power. A consensus emerged among civil liberties activists and various political parties that such an organisation should remain non-partisan. The organisation was re-christened as the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL). The founding conference, held in November 1980, drafted and adopted the Constitution of the PUCL and made it a membership based organisation, aiming to have branches all over the country. The Constitution laid down that the members of a political party will not have the right to hold any office if they joined the organisation; the number of members, belonging to political parties, in the national or state executive committees shall not be more than 50% of the members of the National Council and the National Executive Committee respectively (and also the corresponding bodies at the state and local level). Not more than 10% shall be members of any single political party.

1980

MEMBERSHIP

In November 1980, a National Convention of civil rights workers converted the People's Union for Civil Liberties into a membership organisation. The National Convention elected Mr. V.M. Tarkunde as President and Mr. Arun Shourie as the General Secretary of PUCL. Since then the PUCL has undertaken work on several fronts-from commencing work towards preparing a new Prisons Act and Jail Manual under the leadership of Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer to agitating on specific issues like the release of trade unionists arrested under the National Security Act in Madhya Pradesh. Most of the effort has been devoted to setting up State and Local Units which alone can effectively pursue specific issues.