Anirudh Rajan
Anirudh Rajan is a human rights defender and trade union leader who has been actively involved in promoting labour rights in Manesar, Gurugram. He founded the Manesar General Mazdoor Sangh (MGMS), a trade union in Manesar, which is an industrial hub for several multi-national corporations in India. MGMS was founded during the COVID-19 pandemic, when migrant labourers in Manesar were compelled to work without wages and confined to living inside factories. Anirudh Rajan was instrumental in educating workers regarding their rights, advocated against their exploitation and faced several threats from industrial corporations.
Human rights defenders in India face a diverse range of attacks and harassment from state and non-state actors alike, including killing, physical assault, arbitrary detention, threats and judicial harassment. Police officials are often the perpetrators of violence against HRDs, which is usually carried out with impunity. Armed groups and private companies also target HRDs for work related to economic development projects and their impact on the local communities or the environment. HRDs are increasingly the targets of online smear campaigns by radical nationalists.
