Fundamentally Right

There’s a lot of loose talk these days about “Rights”. Right to Freedom of Speech, of Press, of Expression being the flavour of the month. We have our Ministers being crucified over statements made by them to supposedly curtail them. But who really knows the sources of such rights, the manner in which they were achieved and what directly corresponds to them?

Most of us have forgotten that every right implies a corresponding duty.

Man does not live for himself alone. He lives for the good of others as well as of himself.Therefore, awareness of our citizenship duties is as important as awareness of our rights.

No democratic polity can ever succeed where the citizens are not willing to be active participants in the process of governance by assuming responsibilities and discharging citizenship duties and coming forward to give their best to the country.

A democracy, of the people, by the people and for the people is exactly THAT. This is Our country, with our people and our land. Even with representatives that we elect by adult suffrage working For us, we still owe it to our country to contribute to it’s welfare; to make a difference that goes beyond our personal interests.

Where we may demand a remedy to our right, we must also show responsibility towards our duties.

While it would be wrong to call the rights bestowed upon us a privilege, we must keep in mind the nations still struggling with establishing basic human rights for their people. In a relative sense, it is in fact a privilege.

It is this knowledge of what is right and wrong that makes a man responsible to himself and to the society and this knowledge is inculcated by imbibing and clearly understanding one’s citizenship duties. The fundamental duties are the foundations of human dignity and national character. If every citizen performs his duties irrespective of considerations of caste, creed, colour and language, most of the malaise of the present day polity could be contained, if not eradicated, and the society as a whole uplifted. Rich or poor, in power or out of power, obedience to citizenship duty, at all costs and risks, is the essence of civilized life.

The moral value of the fundamental duties is, in the words of late Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi, “ not to smother rights, but to establish a democratic balance”.

The Fundamental Duties are enshrined in Article 51A of the Constitution of India:

(a) To abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem.
(b) To cherish and follow the noble ideals which inspired our national struggle for freedom.
(c) To uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India.
(d) To defend the country and render national service when called upon to do so.
(e) To promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic and regional or sectional diversities; to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women.
(f) To value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture.
(g) To protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wild life, and to have compassion for living creatures.
(h) To develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform.
(i) To safeguard public property and to abjure violence.
(j) To strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity so that the nation constantly rises to higher levels of endeavor and achievement.