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Bihar
empowered to me is every citizen of the state —
rural and urban — having the feel of
responsibility on his or her shoulder, as every
human feel for its own house or premises or
belongings. Like we react to the losses of our
dearest things, entities and objects, if we can
have the same feeling for everything in this
state, including flora and fauna, institutions
and properties, people and places, there will be
no stopping for the state.
Bihar empowered to me is a state, where every
citizen should wake up from the sleeping sense
of citizenship, which is no less than a curse on
our socio-political scenario. Because people are
the ultimate power of a nation, an army of a
responsible people can make it even stronger
every passing day if he or she wake up and have
a re-look at the Fundamental Duties enshrined in
the Constitution, as Nani Palkhiwala, noted
Jurist and commentator observed, “One citizen is
worth 1000 individuals.”
If we really like to see Bihar grow from
strength to strength, we need to define the
spectrum of fundamental rights vis-à-vis
fundamental duties whereby we can decipher all
the rights of doing things right way as a
dutiful citizen than finding ways and means to
blaming, complaining, lamenting or exploiting
others for all the ills.
Bihar empowered to me is a state, where every
citizen follows and adheres to the Fundamental
Duties enshrined in the Constitution, especially
Article 51 A(b), which states, “it shall be the
duty of every citizen of India to develop the
scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of
inquiry and reform; and (j) …to strive towards
excellence in all spheres of individual and
collective activity, so that the nation
constantly rises to higher levels of endeavour
and achievement”.
Indeed, these Duties proffer a set of ten
duties, which set forth demands from its
citizens to act accordingly, and which are
nothing but the sacred and monumental
responsibility. And the responsibility provides
us a sense of aesthetic burden that we lack due
to that lethargic sense of indifference; it
develops accountability whereby the ills are
rectified, misdemeanours are nabbed, and
lacklustre approaches are redeemed. Taking
responsibility means every citizen must struggle
and act on his or her own, rather than expecting
others to do that, and sensitise other citizens
to shoulder the same sense of obligation. Above
all, responsibility enhances the decision-making
power, and in a state where citizen develops
this faculty, will seek continuous reforms in
social, economic, and political spheres. Hence,
the state will be powerful.
Bihar empowered to me is a state, where every
citizen takes on these Fundamental Duties as a
solemn responsibility: the social, political,
moral, and natural, as empowerment comes through
a responsibility fulfilled in true spirit; and
the more the sense of responsibility, the
greater the empowerment. A feel or burden of
responsibility compels or encourages or inspires
to move forward with constructive or creative
bent of mind, which ultimately leads to a feel
of empowerment. A powerful assembly of empowered
citizens means an empowered state that will not
only defend the country and render national
service when called upon to do so; promote
harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood
amongst all the people of India transcending
religious, linguistic and regional or sectional
diversities; to renounce practices derogatory to
the dignity of women (Article 52A (d &e).
Bihar empowered to me is a state, where the
citizens — from the farmers to the fashion
designers — continually strive to better the
environment in which they live and work, as
Article 51A (g) that call upon us “to protect
and improve the natural environment including
forests, lakes, rivers and wild life, and to
have compassion for living creatures.”
Preserving natural environment and creating
harmony between resources with living creatures
is a big obligation that empowers every citizen
to “respond” and “act” to save everything comes
under the spectrum of environment that the above
Article expects. If every citizen fulfills his
or her duty, then there will be hardly any
hullabaloo over deforestation and degradation of
natural resources and the policies after
policies therein.
Bihar empowered to me is a state, where every
citizen must be paying special heed to the last
Fundamental Duty (Article 51A (j), which calls
upon us to strive towards excellence in all
spheres of individual and collective activity so
that the nation constantly rises to higher
levels of endeavour and achievement. What more
can we demand from the Constitution that clearly
guides us to make our state a powerful nation.
Bihar empowered to me is a state, where Minister
shoulder the ministerial responsibility; the
farmers shoulder the agricultural
responsibility; officials burden the
administrative responsibility; the youth carries
the natural responsibility; and the women
undertake the family responsibility, so that
every citizen can feel the liability to strive
for higher levels of endeavour and achievement.
Bihar empowered to me is a state, where people
must place the responsibility as a citizen at
number one spot or priority, in addition to
undertaking responsibility for family, society,
office and traveling. Unless we place the
responsibility as a citizen in the lead and
fulfill it with due seriousness and sincerity,
all other responsibilities will not be
accomplished in true spirit, as the countless
problems, perils, schisms, skirmishes,
divisions, differences, and strives—from
personal to families to national levels—have
been an utter testimony to this fact.
Bihar empowered to me is a state, where every
born life takes the lesson in becoming a true
citizen first; he or she should seek Fundamental
Rights, but before he or she should learn to be
worthy of these rights. Surely, rights will come
only if we fight for taking on the
responsibilities. We are toiling farmers,
meticulous scientists, busy ministers,
speech-making leaders, erudite scholars,
diligent students, dutiful wives, care giving
parents, hardworking husbands, file carrying
officers, brain-picking thinkers,
concept-providing policy-makers etc. But are we
law-abiding citizen?
I pen this with a purpose. When we cite an
example of literacy we point out Kerala; when we
cite an example of agriculture growth we point
out Punjab; when we cite cultural development we
point out West Bengal. But when we cite example
of crime or law and order breakdown we point
out…B…????
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