{"id":6487,"date":"2025-12-11T00:09:16","date_gmt":"2025-12-10T18:39:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/?p=6487"},"modified":"2025-12-11T00:10:28","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T18:40:28","slug":"6487","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/?p=6487","title":{"rendered":"From UAPA to Electoral Rolls: CPDRS Leaders Activists Decry “Systematic Dismantling” of Rights in India"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Rights Groups Sound Alarm on Citizenship, Democratic Erosion on Human Rights Day<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Bengaluru, 10 Dec.<\/strong>\u2014Marking International Human Rights Day, civil society organizations staged a rally at Freedom Park here today, issuing a stark warning against what they termed systemic violations of democratic rights and a “backdoor” erosion of citizenship safeguards through electoral processes.<\/p>\n

The event, organized by the Centre for Protection of Democratic Rights & Secularism (CPDRS), centered on critiques of recent voter list revisions and the use of stringent security laws, framing them as urgent threats to fundamental freedoms in India.<\/p>\n

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Historical Commitment Contrasted with Current “Draconian” Laws<\/strong><\/p>\n

The gathering began by recalling the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which India, as a founding member, pledged to uphold. Speakers swiftly contrasted this historical commitment with contemporary realities.<\/p>\n

N. Sriram, President of CPDRS, held successive governments responsible for ongoing violations. \u201cAll governments, regardless of political affiliation, are responsible for the suppression of human rights,\u201d he stated. He specifically targeted laws like the National Security Act (NSA) and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).<\/p>\n

\u201cUnder the NSA, individuals can be detained for 365 days without a charge sheet. Under UAPA, a staggering 97% of those booked are ultimately found innocent,\u201d Sriram said, highlighting these figures as evidence of severe power abuse.<\/p>\n

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On Human Rights Day, A Stark Warning: Laws & Policies Are Stripping Rights, Say Activists<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Voter List Revisions Decried as Mass Disenfranchisement<\/strong><\/p>\n

The core of the critique focused on recent electoral roll exercises. Sriram pinpointed a \u201cspecial intensive revision\u201d in Bihar, where, he claimed, \u201cmore than 50 lakh people have been removed from the voter list despite possessing eligibility documents.\u201d<\/p>\n

He framed this as part of a broader, alarming pattern where the demand for citizenship documents for voter registration acts as a discriminatory filter. \u201cThe government is implementing a new process that demands citizenship documents\u2026 This is a backdoor entry to citizenship provisions,\u201d he alleged.<\/p>\n

He argued that this disproportionately affects the poor, minorities, and migrants who may lack such documentation, leading to \u201cmass-scale deletion\u201d from rolls. \u201cThis process is effectively stripping citizens of their fundamental right to vote,\u201d Sriram concluded, demanding the government withdraw the revision and revert to normal enrollment procedures.<\/p>\n

Corruption, Unemployment Fuelling Public Distress<\/strong><\/p>\n

The critique extended to socio-economic issues. Rights activist N. Ravi echoed the sentiment that ordinary citizens bear the brunt of systemic failures. \u201cFrom the perspective of common people, they are enduring unimaginable hardships today,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Ravi highlighted unemployment among the educated and soaring costs of living. He saved sharp criticism for institutionalized corruption, citing electoral bonds as a prime example. \u201cThrough electoral bonds, individuals can give large donations and receive whatever they desire in return. The Election Commission has effectively sanctioned bribes,\u201d he claimed.<\/p>\n

He also criticized reported proposals to close thousands of schools, warning of massive job losses and denied education for the poor. \u201cPeople have no other option but to protest and take to the streets to fight for their rights,\u201d Ravi asserted, calling for the formation of grassroots committees.<\/p>\n

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Rights Groups Decry “Mass Disenfranchisement” in Bihar Voter Purge on Human Rights Day<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A Call to Reclaim Basic Rights and Dignity<\/strong><\/p>\n

Professor Sowmya from Balaji Law College provided the philosophical anchor, defining human rights as basic as \u201cair and water.\u201d She emphasized that the right to life, enshrined in the Universal Declaration, is \u201cnot merely existence, but the right to live with dignity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her comments served as a foundation for the rally\u2019s overarching message. Sriram issued a final call to action, urging citizens to unite. \u201cWe must fight for human rights, the extension of democratic principles, and secularism,\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n

The event concluded with a collective resolve to amplify protests, with CPDRS noting it had submitted memorandums and organized demonstrations in over 15 states, positioning the day not as a celebration but as a catalyst for renewed mobilization against perceived democratic backsliding.<\/p>\n

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Key Quotes:<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
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    \u201cThis process is effectively stripping citizens of their fundamental right to vote.\u201d \u2013\u00a0N. Sriram, CPDRS President<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    \u201cUnder UAPA, a staggering 97% of those booked are ultimately found innocent.\u201d \u2013\u00a0N. Sriram<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    \u201cThrough electoral bonds, the Election Commission has effectively sanctioned bribes to political parties.\u201d \u2013\u00a0N. Ravi, Rights Activist<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    \u201cPeople have no other option but to protest and take to the streets to fight for their rights.\u201d \u2013\u00a0N. Ravi<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n

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    Rights Groups Sound Alarm on Citizenship, Democratic Erosion on Human Rights Day Bengaluru, 10 Dec.\u2014Marking International Human Rights Day, civil society organizations staged a rally at Freedom Park here today, issuing a stark warning against what they termed systemic violations of democratic rights and a “backdoor” erosion of citizenship safeguards through electoral processes. The event, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6488,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[198],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6487","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bengaluru"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6487","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6487"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6487\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6493,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6487\/revisions\/6493"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6488"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6487"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6487"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6487"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}