The Coordination of Democratic Rights Organisations (CDRO), formed in August 2007, is a coalition of around 20 civil and democratic rights organizations from across India. The CDRO arose in the context of the violent state repression of people’s movements in India as well as the arrest of democratic rights activists. CDRO affirms that:

• The right to organize and struggle is an inalienable democratic right of the people.

• To stand united against all forms of state repression on people’s democratic struggles.

•  To support with solidarity actions in the event of attacks by the state on any civil rights organizations or its representatives.

CDRO has engaged in a broad range of campaigns and issues that include,

• the repeal of brutal laws such as the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), the Chhattisgarh State Public Security Act (CSPSA) and other draconian laws operating in India,

• opposing the arbitrary detention of several political prisoners across jails in India and demanding the release of political prisoners

• the increasing use of extra judicial, state-sponsored armed gangs such as the COBRAs in Andhra Pradesh and the Salwa Judum in Chhattisgarh to combat the Maoist insurgency,

• death penalties by the Indian state,and

• narco analysis as a form of police torture.

The coordinating organisations of the CDRO are: 

1. Association for Democratic Rights (AFDR), Punjab

2. Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR), West Bengal;

3. Bandi Mukti Committee (BMC), West Bengal;

4. Campaign for Peace & Democracy in Manipur (CPDM), Delhi

5. Civil Liberties Committee (CLC), Andhra Pradesh;

6. Civil Liberties Committee (CLC), Telangana

7. Committee for Protection of Democratic Rights (CPDR), Mumbai;

8. Committee for Protection of Democratic Rights (CPDR), Tamilnadu

9. Coordination for Human Rights (COHR), Manipur;

10. Janahastakshep, Delhi

11. Jharkhand Council for Democratic Rights (JCDR), Jharkhand

12. Manab Adhikar Sangram Samiti (MASS), Assam;

13. Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR);

14. Peoples’ Committee for Human Rights (PCHR), Jammu and Kashmir;

15. Peoples Democratic Forum (PDF), Karnataka;

16. Peoples Union For Democratic Rights (PUDR), Delhi;

17. Peoples Union for Civil Rights (PUCR), Haryana

The coordination organizations of CDRO operate in a non hierarchical, democratic fashion and meet at least twice in a year. Any non funded Civil and Democratic Rights Organisations can become coordinating organisation with CDRO. For detail contact cdro2007@gmail.com or pudr@pudr.org.