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RIGHTS VS RESPONSIBILITIES

In various spheres or areas of life, rights are linked to responsibilities. To


the extent we fulfil our responsibilities, to that extent only we can claim or
exercise our rights. To the extent we fail in our responsibilities, to that
extent we forfeit our rights. Individual rights refer to the liberties of each
individual to pursue life and goals without interference from other
individuals or the government. Examples of individual rights

Rights and duties go hand in hand. One's right becomes another's duty
and vice-versa. Out of the two which takes precedence is always a point of
debate. The rights and duties which are indispensable for a man being
part and parcel of society have been enshrined in the Constitution as the
Fundamental Rights and Duties. The Constitution covers a broad spectrum
of domains to protect the rights of the common man by introducing six
rights as Fundamental Rights.

These are Right to Equality, Right to Freedom, Right to Freedom of


Religion, Cultural and Educational Rights, Right against Exploitation, and
Right to Constitutional Remedies. Similarly, the Fundamental Duties are
also emphasised upon by the Constitution.

The idea of democracy in India has been reduced to a caricature by a self-


centred obsession with rights. Most institutions -- from the executive to
the legislature to the judiciary and to the press -- have been subverted at
some level or the other by their preoccupation with 'rights' without
reference to 'responsibilities.'

Rights are part of democracy, not the whole. If unions think they have a
right to strike (with no responsibility to customers), if employers think they
have a right to lockouts (with no responsibility to employees' welfare), if
the press thinks it has a right to present news as pure entertainment
(without thinking about how it will impact social attitudes), if legislators
think they can disrupt Parliament or Assemblies at will (without asking
themselves why they have been elected in the first place), how can
democracy work? If the parts don't work democratically, how can the
whole be called a democracy?

I may have a 'right' to walk on clean pavements, but is the issue merely
one of me demanding my 'rights' or is someone, somewhere not taking his
'responsibilities' seriously? Don't municipal officers and political leaders
have a responsibility to educate municipal workers about their
responsibilities and motivate them to keep streets clean?

Or let's take minority rights. Most alleged secularists defend minority


rights without understanding that there is no minority right as separate
from human rights. The whole concept of minority itself is an artificial
construct, because it is relative.

In a group of 100, 10 may be a minority, but within this group of 10, nine
is a majority. The 10 who claim minority status vis-a-vis a larger majority
have a responsibility to ensure that they practice internally what they
preach to outsiders. They cannot deny human rights to their own internal
minorities what they claim as minority rights with the world outside.

A community is a group of people with common interests and values.


Community is characterized by "wholeness incorporating diversity" and
may include people of different ages, ethnicities, educational backgrounds
and incomes (Gardner 2003). Individuals may be members of two or more
communities; for example, one of geographic residence and another of
employment.

Community responsibilities are an individual's duties or obligations to the


community and include cooperation, respect and participation. The
concept goes beyond thinking and acting as individuals to common beliefs
about shared interests and life. A basic community responsibility is voting
in elections.

Each individual is part of a larger community. Family, neighbors, tribe,


village, city, state, region, country and the world form a larger community
in the life of every human being. At the same time, full human potential
cannot be reached if individuality is suppressed by society.

In all free societies there is a constant and unavoidable tension


between rights and responsibilities. Every right has a
corresponding duty.

It is the responsibility of the individual to watch over a community to


make sure that standards are objective and beneficial to human life.

Citizenship today requires individuals be knowledgeable of public


problems but, more important, have the capacity to act together toward
their solutions (Morse 1989). Voluntary actions by private citizens working
together to right injustices, change directions and pursue benefits for the
common good are noted throughout history. This list includes the abolition
of slavery, women's suffrage, public education, community hospitals, the
civil rights movement, the women's movement, the environmental
movement, the gay rights movement and the organization of migrant
workers. In some cases, the movements' leaders achieved great fame and
the respect of the nation and the world, such as kailash satyarthi, Malala
yousafzai, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Cesar Chavez. (Aviv 2003)

In every case, people voluntarily came together with a shared sense of


purpose for the common good and with the intent of righting a wrong in
the community. They also found like-minded people of goodwill. Groups
formed alliances and multiplied their strength (Aviv 2003).

"Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the


lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny
ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different
centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which
can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and
resistance" (Robert F. Kennedy, former U.S. Attorney General)

Philanthropic people and organizations , such as foundations, corporate


grantmakers, individual donors and workplace-giving programs generously
donate time, talent and money to support the efforts and fund the success
of individuals and groups struggling to resolve community problems and
promote human rights.

Nonprofit charitable organizations work to identify underlying causes of


social problems and effect change to benefit the public. Many significant
social ideas of the past century in this country have been nurtured in the
nonprofit sector (Gardner 2003). Nonprofit organizations fill gaps in areas
such as social services, human rights and environmental protection. They
may provide youth activities , feed the hungry, and shelter for homeless
people. Nonprofit organizations reinforce both individualism and
community responsibility by establishing an arena of action through which
individuals can take the initiative to promote their own well-being and to
advance the well-being of others in the community.

Individuals, as responsible members of their communities, may give their


time and volunteer their services to help obtain needed improvements.
Active participation on local school boards and parent-teacher
associations improves educational services. Citizens can take an active
part in the community by offering their knowledge and talents to different
local organizations or committees. Participation in town meetings, public
hearings and community projects is important for community
improvement and identifying and solving problems (Ben's Guide to U.S.
Government for Kids 2003).
. This hallowed time-tested principle applies also to the independent
media which are expected to play a major role in sustaining a democracy
that is of the people, for the people and by the people. The independent
media are the channels through which the sovereign people exercise their
fundamental rights to the freedom of expression and information. The
independent media also need to be the voice of the voiceless,
marginalised and defenceless people. They are expected to spotlight the
grievances and aspirations of the people, especially the poor, and bring
them to the attention of the government again and again till action is
taken to bring about social justice and an equitable distribution of the
country's wealth and resources.

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