Duties of a citizen | Classification of duties | Relations between rights and duties

Duties of a citizen

As citizens have rights to the state, they have duties as well. Without discharging duties, enjoying rights cannot be expected. By giving different rights to the citizens, the state makes citizens loyal and responsible. Citizens' lives grow by state-given rights. In exchange, the duties of citizens are to be loyal to the state, pay taxes regularly, obey laws, exercise their right to vote with honesty, and perform other state-given duties.

Classification of duties

Citizens perform responsibilities to enjoy rights. These responsibilities are called duties. Citizens' duties are divided into two categories: 

a) moral duties;

b) legal duties.

a) Moral duties: Moral duties stem from people's conscience and social morality or justice. For example, to be educated, casting votes with honesty, serving the state and coming forward to assist world humanity. These duties come from citizens' conscience and social morality and justice. These are called moral duties.

b) Legal duties: Duties sponsored by the state laws are called legal duties. To be loyal to the state, law abidance and paying tax are legal duties. State laws recognize these duties. Every citizen must obey legal duties. Failing to do so, one must be punished. Legal duties are inevitable for the welfare of the state and citizens. Some of the duties are discussed below.

1) Allegiance to the state: Allegiance to the state is expressed to the protection of independence and sovereignty of the state, respect for the constitution and fundamental principles of the state. In other words, allegiance to the state means the sacrifice of life, if necessary, for the existence, integrity and development of the state.

2) Abiding by laws: Law protects our life, property and liberty. Law is equally applicable to all. In the absence of law, social life becomes anarchic. Citizens' life without law cannot be imagined in the spheres of society and state. The state enacts laws to ensure the rights and freedom of the citizens. So it is the duty of citizens to abide by laws.

3) Pay taxes: To operate the state,the government needs resources. For this reason, the government imposes direct and indirect taxes on the citizens. Therefore, every citizen must pay taxes regularly and properly.

Relations between rights and duties

Though rights and duties are two separate words, they have close mutual relationships. The relationships between these two concepts are described below:

First, to enjoy rights depends on the performance of duties. For example, voting is an essential right of the citizens. It is the duty of a citizen to cast his/her vote. Rights and responsibilities are correlated. So it can be said that discharging duties lie in enjoying rights.

Second, one's rights refer to another person's duties. For example, I have the right to walk on the road; it means that I shall walk and let others do so. Again, when I shall walk on the path, others would let me do so. Thus the relations between rights and duties are intimately related.

Third, we enjoy social, economic and political rights given by the state. In return, we have to perform duties. For example, to be allegiant to the state, abiding by laws, paying tax - all these are duties. By performing duties, we enjoy rights given by the state.

Fourth, as members of society, we enjoy the right to education. By using such education, we develop society. To receive education is our right, but to apply it is our duty. In sum, we may say that rights and responsibilities arise from social consciousness. One cannot take effect without the other. Thus it can be said that rights cannot be enjoyed without performing duties.