Fundamental Duties of the citizens of India

13th January 2010
Fundamental Duties of Citizens of India
1. The sovereign power of India has been transferred by the British to the people of India on 15th of August 1947 and not to the so-called trusted political agents or power brokers of the British in India at the time. This is evident from the Speech delivered by the then British Prime Minister on radio broad-cast on the night of 14th August 1947. The people of India are supreme and not their representatives are the agents of the people. About 85% of the citizens of India have still to enjoy economic equality or economic justice enshrined in the Indian Constitution. They are so far unjustly deprived of the power of economic equality guaranteed to all the citizens of India irrespective of caste, creed, sex, place of birth, etc. Economic injustice so far meted out to the citizens of India has adversely affected in the doctrine of equality of status and opportunity. Equalitarian principles as opposed to equitable principles embodied in the Constitution of India has been given a complete go-by by the political parties who ruled over the country and the people, so far. This trend is needed to be reversed for the country to become a super power in the comity of Nations of the world. The citizens may not tolerate zhopada pattis and sky scrappers growing side by side and annual average income of a CMD of a Company of Rs.44.02 crores and of a citizen below poverty line of Rs.356/-, etc., are some of the glaring examples in India especially when our Indian Constitution guarantees fundamental economic equality to all its citizens. Progressive Taxation in India i. e. taxing the person according to his capacity is not followed in India. Taxing the person according to his income, has resulted in this kind of disparity in the wealth and economic resources of the country.
2. Further, every citizen of India must carry out and perform properly his/her fundamental duties which are enumerated in Part IVA of the Constitution of India. These are incorporated in Article 51A which reads as under:-
“51A. It shall be the duty of every citizen 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 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.”

NADAR