NAJAR Announces Nationwide ‘Nyay Abhiyan’ from Constitution Day to Republic Day  

Dharwad, Karnataka : The National Alliance for Justice, Accountability & Rights (NAJAR)—an initiative of the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM)—has announced a two-month nationwide ‘NAJAR Nyay Abhiyan’ from 26 November 2025 (Constitution Day) to 26 January 2026 (Republic Day). The announcement came at the conclusion of NAJAR’s vibrant 3-day National Conclave held in Dharwad, Karnataka, from 22–24 November 2025.

The Conclave brought together a wide spectrum of lawyers, academics, activists, researchers and law students to collectively reflect on the deepening democratic crisis and to strategize people-centred legal interventions, solidarity mechanisms and coordinated actions across the country.

Focus on Constitutional Crisis & Democratic Rights

The gathering reaffirmed NAJAR’s foundational values—secularism, social justice, equality and democratic freedoms—all of which, participants noted, face unprecedented strain in the current political climate.

The Conclave opened with cultural performances, release of NAJAR’s two-year activity report, and distribution of bags printed with the Indian Constitution’s Preamble. The Inaugural Plenary, titled “Constitution in Crisis: Possibilities for Collaboration between Legal Fraternity and Progressive Movements”, featured Sr. Adv. Gayatri Singh, Medha Patkar, Adv. Vasudha Nagaraj, Jabeena Khanum and Dr. Isabella Xavier, who spoke on the erosion of constitutional morality, shrinking institutional autonomy, and the urgent need for deeper collaboration between people’s movements and the legal community.

Thematic Debates & Strategic Planning

Across the Conclave, participants engaged in detailed deliberations on gender justice, labour rights, civil liberties, land, forest and ecological issues and rights of marginalized communities.

The discussions spanned litigation, legal aid, legislative and policy advocacy, fact-finding, public research, capacity building and grassroots legal mobilisation. State-wise and region-wise caucuses drafted concrete action plans for 2026, rooted in local struggles.

Law students and faculty explored ways to deepen constitutional engagement within legal education.

Key Resolutions Passed

The Convention unanimously passed a set of strong resolutions on SIR (Special Institutional Reforms), Supreme Court verdict on post-facto environmental clearances, judicial and institutional accountability, equity-based legal education, opposition to labour codes, solidarity with struggles in Ladakh, Palestine and other marginalized communities across India.

The Conclave also adopted the Dharwad Declaration, a concise statement of NAJAR’s values, commitments and collective roadmap for the coming year.

Writer Ramzan Dargah’s reflection on the equity-liberation philosophy of Basavanna added a powerful cultural dimension to the proceedings.

Highlight: UAPA Misuse Report Released

A significant moment came during the concluding plenary, “Plural Pathways Towards Comprehensive Justice,” featuring Adv. Indira Unninayar, Prof. Ganesh Devy, Adv. Albertina Almeida, Arvind Narrain and Adv. Seilenmang Haokip.

During this session, NAJAR and the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) jointly released a detailed report exposing misuse of the UAPA against working-class Muslim community members in certain Hubli cases, revealing patterns of targeted prosecution.

Solidarity with Workers & Local Communities

On the final day, participants interacted with sanitation workers from Gulbarga and civil society members from Hubli-Dharwad, extending solidarity to their ongoing struggles for rights and dignity. A press conference in Hubli detailed the Conclave’s proceedings, the UAPA Report findings and the issues faced by sanitation workers.

The event ended with multilingual slogans for justice at the statue of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar at Hubli crossroads.

NAJAR Nyay Abhiyan: Two Months of Nationwide Action

Energised by the Dharwad gathering, NAJAR announced a coordinated two-month Nyay Abhiyan aimed at strengthening decentralised legal interventions, expanding solidarity actions, deepening constitutional engagement, coordinating state-level and thematic campaigns for justice.

A 25-member National Working Group has been constituted to strengthen NAJAR’s work systematically.

Calling upon NAJAR members, NAPM networks and allied movements across India, the Alliance urged broad participation in this nationwide campaign to defend constitutional rights and expand democratic spaces.

NAJAR concludes Dharwad with renewed determination to stand firmly with people’s movements and advance the struggles for a more just, equitable and democratic India.