The APDR is part of the countrywide civil and human rights movement. Since its inception in 1972, the association with its branches spread throughout West Bengal, India has been working for the protection of civil and democratic rights of the people and against all forms of state repression. In the context of state repression that has been sweeping for last few years all over India, the necessity of such organisations has been increased. Reckless abuse of power in the name of development and maintenance of law and order by the higher state machinery have not only led to the common human rights being violated, even the provisions of the prevalent law of the land have been neglected at every step.