# 40 Our Duties, Their Rights

Upside Down image: Craiyon

Our Duties, Their Rights

On Independence Day, Prime Minister Modi reminded us that while we citizens may have rights, we also have duties, and that we must vow to abide by those duties.

This is an inversion of the relationship between citizens and the state. 

Remember that It was  “We, the People of India” who constituted a republic so as to secure for ourselves Justice, Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity.

It is We who elect a government to uphold this constitution, which is why the Prime Minister’s oath on taking office is to “solemnly affirm that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India as by law established”

Instead, the autocratic government of Indira Gandhi first suspended our constitutional rights by declaring an emergency in 1975, then turned the tables by charging us with duties, adding them to the Constitution in 1976. It is hardly surprising that the current Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, whose government has treated freedom and justice with disregard, should remind us of our duties, rather than our rights. 

Having said that, I think that the duties to which we are enjoined are, in the main, not objectionable. Here is the complete list (the last, (k), was included as part of the Right to Education, in 2009):

(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 endeavour and achievement;

(k) who is a parent or guardian to provide opportunities for education to his child or, as the case may be, ward between the age of six and fourteen years.

I think this is actually a pretty darn good code for each of us to adopt, as long as it does not warp into more sticks to beat us with. I am especially heartened by Mr. Modi’s reminder that the citizen’s duties apply to “even the Prime Minister, Chief Minister (who) cannot be an exclusion as they are also responsible citizens and have a duty towards the nation.”

Does this mean that, in the pursuit of harmony, there will be no more talk of ‘kabristan’ vs. ‘’shamshan-bhoomi”? Or that kathak concerts will not be halted because “yahan qawwali nahi chalegi.”?

To protect the environment, that forests will no longer be cut for diamond or coal mines?

To foster scientific temper, that the likes of Coronil will no longer be bruited as a cure for Covid, or the nation not told that air raids are best carried out on cloudy days to evade radar?

I guess only time will tell. Meanwhile, our Honourable Finance Minister reminded us, rather stridently, that our Prime Minister also has rights. In this case, the right to have his photograph on every PDS shop, because the Modi government is paying for subsidised rice.

I stand corrected, Mrs. Sitharaman, I thought it was my taxes that were paying for the subsidy.