NATIONAL SEMINAR BY OPDR AND PUCL AT AP on Sept. 24 and 25th 2011.

Dear Friends,                                                                                                                        

24th August, 2011 Indian Civil Liberties and Democratic Rights movement completes 75years of age. The first civil liberties movement of India was mooted by I N C and it's concrete form is ICLU. The inaugural meeting held in Bombay on 24th august 1936. Rabindranath Tagore was it's president, Vijaya Lakshmi Pundit and K B Menon were it's working presidents and General secretary respectively. Jawaharlal Nehru, Babu Rajendraprasad, Sardar Vallabhai Patel, Jakeer Hussein etc. were (21members) in the executive. It was explicitly stated that ICLU was a inseparable part of anti colonial movement and any individual who agreed this orientation and was willing to condemn the astronomical repression of the colonial government on Indian people could be the member of it. whatever his/her political affiliations and convictions. The inaugural session was held at Bombay on 24th August 1936. Soon the Madras and Calcutta branches were also formed. It had slowly lost stream by 1940 and became totally defunct by 1942. It is partly because of the congress leadership's real nature.

Between 1946 and 51 terrible repression let loose on workers and peasants struggles and against communist ranks. Once again civil liberties movement sprang up (off course with the initiative of the CPI) and worked against with the repression until 1955 by which time the CPI has taken to parliamentary politics.Once again there was a repression on newly formed CPI(M) during 1964-65 and once again civil liberties associations came into existence in the places like Calcutta, Bombay, Andhra Pradesh etc. After release of CPI(M) carders and leaders from jails these associations too went dormant/defunct. Then in 1967 thus Naxalbari - Srikakulam tribal peasant struggle broke out with a big bang. In fact the struggle was a part of an attempt to establish a new democratic state in India through armed revolution. So, the Indian state used it's mighty armed strength and crushed it. In that process Indian state murdered thousands of peasants, students and revolutionary cadres through out the country. To denounce this brutal massacre a few intellectuals and certain revolutionary leaders, especially in Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal took initiative to build up a new type of civil liberties movement. That is democratic rights movement whose main objective is to uphold the right to struggle of the people, including the right to change the system. APCL and DR was formed in 1971 in Andhra Pradesh and APDR was farmed in West Bengal in 1972. APCLC and OPDR-AP are the offshoots of APCL and DR.

The internal emergency of 1975, for the first time extended the repression on to the opposition establishment parties also. As a response to it PUCL and DR was formed in Delhi in 1976 under the leader ship of late.Jayaprakash Narayan. The existing PUCL and PUDR are the offshoots of this. After 1977 and particularly 1980,many more 'rights' associations came into existence since 1982  efforts have been going on to form either all India organization(s)with limited success

At present the Noe liberal onslaught on the rights of the people is phenomenal and hence to develop a coherent co-ordination at all India level is urgent task.PUCL and CDRO are fulfill this task to certain extent however it is important to review the entire history of Indian civil liberties and democratic rights movement.Every organization may have its own assignment of the past and present.It is necessary to pool up these assessments.With this aim OPDR proposed in June an all India seminar with the theme"75years of civil liberties and democratic rights in India-challenges and problems" it proposed the seminar may be jointly organized by OPDR,APCLC,PUCL(AP),HRF.But APCLC and HRF expressed their inability to be joint organizers.However they accepted to attend the seminar and present their view

So this all India seminar shall be jointly organized by OPDR-AP and PUCL-AP at Vijayawada(the biggest railway junction in India) on 24,25 September 2011. All civil liberties and democratic organizations(not receiving funds from foreign countries or Indian corporate sector) are cordially inviting to participate and present a paper in the seminar.Eminent Intellectuals interested in peoples rights shall be invited.Suggestions are invited.

regards,

c.Bhaskararao,gen.secy.,OPDR (cbrao1945@gmail.com)

Jaya vindhayala gen.secy.,PUCL-AP                                                                                2nd September 2011.