12 September 2024 : Daily Answer Writing

Q1) A man can give up a right, but he may not give up a duty without being guilty of a grave dereliction.

(150 Words/10 Marks)

ANS

Rights and duties are complimentary concepts so much so that the two are considered two sides of the same coin. It is only in the performance of our duties that we actually become entitle to rights/privileges. While rights are entitlements accorded to a person/class, duties are corresponding obligations expected from them.

A person can give up his/her right, if it serves the larger interest, as can be seen from:

1. Well to do citizens can give up their public entitlements in order to ensure distribution of resources to the needy from the limited pool of welfare goods. E.g., More than 1 million eligible citizens gave up their right to LPG subsidy.
2. In view of rendering an important national service, several professionals wave their right to fair compensation. E.g., Harish Salve charged just one rupee for defending Kulbhushan Jadhav at the ICJ; Actor Amir Khan endorsed the Incredible India campaign free of cost.
3. Giving up a right can also be seen to be done as a result of commitment and a sense of duty. E.g., a public official waving his right to weekly holiday in order to cater for the large workload in the office.

While rights can be given up to serve a larger purpose, one cannot ignore/give-up one’s duty without being guilty of grave dereliction, as:

1. Duties are obligations which are entwined to the well-being of not only an individual but also to the welfare of others. E.g., duty to preserve public places; duty to maintain silence in hospitals/library; duty to maintain high standards of personal hygiene.
2. Duties are important to cultivate a sense of discipline and commitment towards our work/organization. E.g., It is the duty of a magistrate to consider all the merits of the case diligently before awarding a punishment.
3. Duties are a societal glue which is important for building an inclusive, peaceful and prosperous society. E.g., duty to maintain/defend communal harmony.
4. One’s duty, whether legally or morally mandated, is a trust reposed on the individual. Giving up on such a duty amounts to a lack of integrity. E.g., Duty of a soldier to defend the borders; duty of an administrator to treat all the citizens equally.
5. Duties are also in the nature of sacrosanct social obligations which cannot be waived without causing damage to the social capital. E.g., duty of a parent to ensure overall wellbeing of their children; duty of children to care for parents in their old age.

Bhagwad Geeta exhorts an individual to focus on Karma (duties) without feeling obligated to results. This ancient wisdom is also captured in the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi when he stresses that real rights are a result of the performance of duty.