The Duties of a citizen
The word citizen has three shades of meaning. It may mean to town-dweller as distinguished from a villager; or, secondly, the member of a city, who has recognized municipal privileges and duties – as, a citizen of Manchester, or of Bombay; or lastly, it may mean the subject of a sovereign state, in which sense we speak of an English citizen, or a French citizen.
The first meaning may be left aside here; for the subject is concerned with the second and third meanings only. What, then, are the duties of a citizen to his city and his country?
A citizen is the member of a community, whether that community is a town or a great country: and as the member of a community he has both privileges and duties. We may think of a community as existing for the sake of its individual members, or, the individual members as existing for the sake of the community. The first view, held by individualists, emphasizes the privileges of a citizenship. One says, the State exists for the good of the citizen – and that is true; the other says, the citizens exist for the good of the State – and that also is true. Both views must be combined and a citizen must recognize that the State he belongs to has a duty to him (his privileges) and that he has an obligation to it (his duties).
However, as we are in no danger of forgetting our privileges as citizens, it is wise to emphasize our duties.
The first obvious duty of a citizen is loyalty to the country of his birth or adoption. Patriotism does not mean “My country, right or wrong”; but it does mean that in a national crisis or danger, a citizen must be prepared to support and defend his country even, if necessary, with his life.
Secondly, it is the duty of a citizen to obey his country’s laws. He must have no sympathy with crime, which is a breach of law. He may consider some laws imperfect, unwise and even unjust; and he may, and should, use all constitutional means in his power, such as public speaking, writing to the press, organization, and the use of his vote, to get such laws reformed or abolished. But so long as a law is a law, he must obey it.
Thirdly, he must do more than keep the law himself, he must, as occasion arises, actively assist the guardians of the law in the performance of their duty in putting down crimes and arresting criminals. Criminals must be made to feel that they have, not only the police, but also all respectable citizens against them.
Fourthly, he ought to take an intelligent interest in politics; for as a citizen he has a vote, and he is responsible for using that vote for the good of his country as a whole. He must form definite opinions as to what is best for his country, and what men are the best to rule it, and what new laws and reforms it needs, and then actively use such influence as he has to forward such measures.
Lastly, a citizen must be ready, if he has the ability and is called upon to do so, to render active voluntary service to his city or country, by serving on municipalities, education committees, and other public bodies, or even in the central legislature. Good citizens have no right to leave the management of local or national institutions to professional politicians.
The word citizen has three shades of meaning. It may mean to town-dweller as distinguished from a villager; or, secondly, the member of a city, who has recognized municipal privileges and duties – as, a citizen of Manchester, or of Bombay; or lastly, it may mean the subject of a sovereign state, in which sense we speak of an English citizen, or a French citizen.
The first meaning may be left aside here; for the subject is concerned with the second and third meanings only. What, then, are the duties of a citizen to his city and his country?
A citizen is the member of a community, whether that community is a town or a great country: and as the member of a community he has both privileges and duties. We may think of a community as existing for the sake of its individual members, or, the individual members as existing for the sake of the community. The first view, held by individualists, emphasizes the privileges of a citizenship. One says, the State exists for the good of the citizen – and that is true; the other says, the citizens exist for the good of the State – and that also is true. Both views must be combined and a citizen must recognize that the State he belongs to has a duty to him (his privileges) and that he has an obligation to it (his duties).
However, as we are in no danger of forgetting our privileges as citizens, it is wise to emphasize our duties.
The first obvious duty of a citizen is loyalty to the country of his birth or adoption. Patriotism does not mean “My country, right or wrong”; but it does mean that in a national crisis or danger, a citizen must be prepared to support and defend his country even, if necessary, with his life.
Secondly, it is the duty of a citizen to obey his country’s laws. He must have no sympathy with crime, which is a breach of law. He may consider some laws imperfect, unwise and even unjust; and he may, and should, use all constitutional means in his power, such as public speaking, writing to the press, organization, and the use of his vote, to get such laws reformed or abolished. But so long as a law is a law, he must obey it.
Thirdly, he must do more than keep the law himself, he must, as occasion arises, actively assist the guardians of the law in the performance of their duty in putting down crimes and arresting criminals. Criminals must be made to feel that they have, not only the police, but also all respectable citizens against them.
Fourthly, he ought to take an intelligent interest in politics; for as a citizen he has a vote, and he is responsible for using that vote for the good of his country as a whole. He must form definite opinions as to what is best for his country, and what men are the best to rule it, and what new laws and reforms it needs, and then actively use such influence as he has to forward such measures.
Lastly, a citizen must be ready, if he has the ability and is called upon to do so, to render active voluntary service to his city or country, by serving on municipalities, education committees, and other public bodies, or even in the central legislature. Good citizens have no right to leave the management of local or national institutions to professional politicians.
Qualities
of a good citizen
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A
good citizen is one who is a good person. There seems to be no scope for
differentiating between the two - for a weak or a bad person cannot be a good
citizen and it holds true the other way round also. It is a man's everyday
behavior and his everyday virtues which count and contribute to his
character. A good citizen is one whose behavior is consistent with the canons
of self-respect and social justice and he should be reliable both in peace
and war.
The first and foremost quality
asked of a good citizen is patriotism. He should have a genuine love for his
country and should have a sense of involvement in its day to day affairs, in
its economic policies and its international relationships. All this cannot be
achieved overnight: it is the product of a good training and a good heritage
and various other factors contribute towards patriotic feelings. The first
among these is the right kind of upbringing. If a child hears only stories of
betrayal and listens to a discussion of the various methods of making easy
money, he is unlikely to imbibe any good qualities. The hand that rocks the
cradle shapes the world. Honesty, integrity and self-respect are the
qualities that can only be nurtured at home. These form the foundation of
good citizenship.
A home and a family are a
miniature group. If a person gets his values and priorities correct while
living in it, he will make a good citizen. A good citizen must put the
interest of his country before his own personal interest and he should not
enter into any contract which may prove harmful to the interest of his
country and he must do his share of the work and share due responsibilities.
These are the qualities which add up to strength and character. A good
citizen puts his country before self. There are many jobs which if correctly
performed add to the national progress. Industries, when expanded properly,
become a part of national wealth. They provide opportunities for employment
and development. A farmer, a teacher, a soldier each one is important in his
own role. He who loves his country puts his heart in his job and does it to
the best of his ability. A good citizen stays away from anti-social
activities like smuggling and corruption.
It is not only the passive virtue
of not being anti-social which is important. but the positive quality of asserting
oneself, being fearless enough to point out and face anti-social elements. It
is not enough to slink out of their way and say that we are not concerned.
Courage is not only physical but also moral: one does not require it only
when faced by an enemy or in a moment of crisis but in day to day decisions
and activities. Courage is intimately connected with self-respect. A man who
is servile and can stoop down to any level will not he brave and will not be
honest. A man who has a great deal of self-respect will he courageous in the
face of odds.
Another thing which is necessary
is good health. There may be circumstances which may be beyond our control;
but by and large it is the duty of a good citizen to look after his health.
For if a man is healthy, he can bestir himself for others; if he is healthy
he can do his duty and can afford to be brave; he can also save the of many
precious man-hours. A healthy mind finds its natural habitat in a healthy
body.
Added to all these is the sense of
pride a person has in his cultural tradition, the feeling of identification
he has with his background. However, this pride should not be allowed to
deteriorate into chauvinism. It should be seasoned with the proper degree of
humility. No country is too small to be on its own; and no country too big to
learn from others. And a country needs its citizens to be free and fearless
to make it strong. For as the poet has said:
Not
gold but only men can make
A
nation good and strong
Men
who for truth and honor's sake
Stand
fast and suffer long.
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The Rights of a Citizen
Almost every modern state, especially a democracy, allows its citizens several rights; but in return, it expects its citizens to perform certain duties.
Among the rights enjoyed by the citizen in a democracy are the right to pursue his own affairs as he prefers; the right to express his views, however silly they may appear to others, and the right to move about as he pleases. The citizen is considered so important that his rights are protected by the law of the state, and whenever they are infringed, he can secure redress.
But in a totalitarian state, the rights of the citizen are so restricted that he has practically no freedom. The citizen is supposed to exist for the state. His interests are always subordinated to those of the state. Thus, his duties exceed his rights.
Even in a democracy, however, the citizen is expected to exercise his rights within the limits of the law. He should not do or say anything that may affect the rights of others. In exercising his right to act as he pleases, for example, he should not try to elope with another man’s wife or say anything slanderous about her or anyone. In the same way, his actions should not cause injury or damage to any individual or his property. He cannot kill as he pleases. If his conduct infringes the rights of others, then those who have been affected by his misconduct could take legal action against him and he will be punished according to the law of the state. In this way, the state protects its citizens and their rights from the thoughtlessness of any individual in the state. This means, of course, that every citizen in the state is expected to do his duty to his fellow citizens.
The citizen is also expected to give his services for the protection of the state in times of war, and to maintain law and order in his state, at all times.
Thus, every citizen who is conscious of his rights should also be conscious of his duties to the state and his fellow citizens.
