We - the people of India

We - the people of India, have perhaps ingrained our sense of "Rights" from the 800 years of our oppression and occupation. It was perhaps unavoidable, and most natural thing to happen contextually!

But sadly, our sense of "Duty" has been totally lost somewhere en-route!

While actually, if one gets to think about it, for developing a responsible society, duties should always precede rights! 

Don't you think, if each one of us, lived up to our duties, than all the rights of each one of us would automatically get taken care of!

How many of us are aware that there are 11 Fundamental duties listed in our Constitution under Article 51 Part 4A?

The fundamental duties noted in the constitution are as below.  

It  shall  be the  duty  of  every  citizen of  India, to :

S.No	11 Fundamental Duties
1.	Abide by the Indian Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem
2.	Cherish and follow the noble ideals that inspired the national struggle for freedom
3.	Uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India
4.	Defend the country and render national service when called upon to do so
5.	Promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic and regional or sectional diversities and to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women
6.	Value and preserve the rich heritage of the country’s composite culture
7.	Protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife and to have compassion for living creatures
8.	Develop scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform
9.	Safeguard public property and to abjure violence
10.	Strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity so that the nation constantly rises to higher levels of endeavour and achievement
11.	Provide opportunities for education to his child or ward between the age of six and fourteen years. This duty was added by the 86th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2002

If only we were half as aware about these duties, as we are about our rights, than we would be today in a much better position as an individual, as a society, and consequently as a nation.

We Indians truly need to imbibe these duties in our daily lives, as an offering of gratitude to all those brave-hearts who made the supreme sacrifices during our freedom struggle, so that we all could breathe in the air of freedom, and make a nation of their dreams, for which they laid down their lives.

I hope this injects some introspection in all of us?

We - the people of India - Let us all pledge to live up to above duties, and determine to regain the lost glory of a great nation that we are citizens of!

Jai Hind ... Jai Bharat.