People’s Union For Civil Liberties

People’s Union For Civil Liberties

People’s Union For Civil Liberties

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.

Independent People's Tribunal on the Ongoing Ethnic Conflict in Manipur

The `Independent People’s Tribunal on the Ongoing Ethnic Conflict in Manipur’ released its report on the 20th August, 2025 at the Press Club of India, New Delhi. The stated objectives of the Tribunal were as follows:

1) Document the violations suffered by the people of Manipur with a specific attention to loss of life, sexual violence and violence suffered by children, women including pregnant women and the elderly.

2)  Examine and analyse the performance and responsibilities of the constitutional authorities by documenting the action taken to prevent the violence, provide access to remedy and justice, investigate and prosecute crimes, and in all other ways to provide redressal of violations and make efforts to establish the rule of law.

3)  Examine the role of all security agencies as well as government functionaries at all levels of the state and central governments in ensuring law and order and also examine the role of independent national and state based institutions in protecting human rights.

4)  Examine existing documentation on the Manipur situation and analyse the reasons for the continuing violence

5)  Propose recommendations to repair the torn social, cultural and political fabric of the State.

Press Statements

Aug 21, 2025

PUCL demands that the Assam police withdraw prosecution ag...

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Aug 16, 2025

PUCL Welcomes Supreme Court's Order on Transparency in Bihar...

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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.

Writings

Reports

A fact-finding report into alleged crossfire between the police and Maoists in the districts of Koraput and Malkangiri in South Odisha

Detailed Report

Scrutiny of EVMs being used for Elections in India. Report of the Scientific Scrutiny by Experts

Detailed Report

Fact Finding Report of the PUCL Jharkhand on the Satbarva (Bhelvahi) Encounter

Detailed Report

Spilling Innocent Blood: A Fact-Finding Report by PUCL Odisha on Nisanguda Killing

Detailed Report

Dr. Prabhakar Sinha

Detailed Report

Govt trying to take away independence of judiciary, alleges Prashant Bhushan

Detailed Report

RTI Reveals- Even After Four Decades, Rules and SOPs Do Not Exist for Ordering Preventive Detentions Under J&K PSA

Detailed Report

Imprisoned Resistance - 5th August And Its Aftermath

Detailed Report

Imprisoned and Unsafe: Prisoners and the Pandemic

Detailed Report

The Double Siege - News Media in the Time of Covid-19

Detailed Report

Broken Slates and Blank Screens - Education under a Lockdown.

Detailed Report

Criminalizing the Practise of Faith - A report by PUCL Karnataka on Hate Crimes against Christians in Karnataka

Detailed Report

UAPA: Criminalising Dissent And State Terror. Study of UAPA Abuse in India, 2009-2022

Detailed Report

Closing the Gates to Education, Violations of rights of Muslim women students in Karnataka

Detailed Report

Apnon ka Bahut Lagta Hai (Our Own Hurt Us the Most) - Centering Familial Violence in the lives of Queer and Trans Persons in the Marriage Equality Debates

Detailed Report

Inciting Disharmony in Educational institutions in Western Maharashtra

Detailed Report

Fact finding report on fake Encounter at Pidiya - PUCL Chhattisgarh

Detailed Report

Killing Of Three Dalit Youths And Other Atrocities Against Their Families in Sagar District (MP)

Detailed Report

In the name of 'Honour' - Violation of the right to intimate and social associations

Detailed Report

Lost Fraternity: A Mob Lynching in Broad Daylight

Detailed Report

In Action

Get Involved To work with PUCL or support us, write to puclnat@gmail.com