'Soldier At Border Thinks Of Only Duties' : Law Minister Says Rights & Duties Need To Be Balanced For Country's Progress

While delivering his speech at the Valedictory Function of the Constitution Day Celebrations at New Delhi on Saturday, Union Minister of Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju said that India can become a great country only if we create a balance between Fundamental Rights and Fundamental Duties.

"At this event of Azadi Ka Amrit Mohatsav, when we are taking oath that we will make our country a great country. And this can only happen if we create a balance between fundamental duties and fundamental rights," the Law Minister said.

He said that although he didn't want to create a debate between Fundamental Right and Fundamental Duties, on this occasion there was a need to evaluate how much we have progressed as a nation.

The Law Minister said that he came from a very humble background from a village and could connect his village to the main road only after he became the Member of Parliament.

Adding that coming from a very remote area of the country he never knew about the Fundamental Rights since he always grew up with the concept of Fundamental Duties, he said,

"If you see a soldier standing on the remote border or somewhere in the isolated territory of the country, he would not think about his Fundamental Rights but he would always think about his Fundamental Duties."

Reiterating that he never wanted to create a debate between Fundamental Rights and Fundamental Duties, the Law Minister said that a person starts learning about his Fundamental Rights only after he moves from villages to the cities.

"As I move from village to cities I start learning about Fundamental Rights. As I said that I don't want to create any debate between Fundamental Rights and Fundamental Duties but something on which we should think. The more a person progresses and walks towards cities, he thinks about his rights and gets to know about it. I have seen that people while enforcing their rights, forget the rights of others and along with that forget their duties," Law Minister said.

The Minister also said that a bill passed by the Parliament is the law of the land, like a judgment passed by the Supreme Court. However, if there is a situation where a bill passed by the Parliament cannot be implemented, that is a matter of concern. Implementation of laws are stalled saying that are hampering rights. Though the Minister did not expressly refer to the farm laws agitation, his comments assume relevance in the context of the Government deciding to repeal the farm laws following a year long protests by the farmers.

"All of us know that whatever judgement the Supreme Court passes and whatever bill the Parliament passes, they become the law of land. If there is a situation that irrespective of passing a law by the Assembly, there is a difficulty in its implementation, then all of us need to think together. Be it the legislature, judiciary or executive or any other organ of the community, we need to think. That's because we and our country are guided by the Constitution. 75 years are about to end and how the constitution has resulted in the country's progress, we need to think about that too," Minister said.

"When as a Member of Parliament, I take part in the discussions of the Parliament, I always think that I am speaking on behalf of my constituency which elected me. I I draw authority from them. Now if we are not able to implement a law passed by the Parliament on the ground it is violating some body else's rights...this is a matter to be debated and discussed in a big way".

The Law Minister also urged the dignitaries present at the event to go back and think as to how far have we reached in these 75 years of Independence and where do we intend to go when our country celebrates 100 years of Independence. He also said that we also need to think as to whether our acts have harmed the Constitution.

"I think that today in the President's presence we are celebrating the closing ceremony of Constitution Day and after this when we'll go back we should go back with a thinking that in these 75 years of Independence, how far have we reached and when we'll celebrate 100 years, where will we go. We also need to think as to whether because of us has the Constitution been harmed?"

While concluding his speech, the Law Minister said that our country's Constitution is the world's best and the most beautiful Constitution and to strengthen the sanctity of this holy book there was a need for all of us to move forward and do something.

"I said yesterday too, that Our Constitution Is The World's Best and Beautiful Constitution and to strengthen the sanctity of this holy book all of us need to move forward and do something. We have to ensure that we follow the Constitution of India in letter and spirit. If we carry forward this message, then we will ensure that this message is forwarded to different parts of this world," Law Minister said.