A citizen/civilian is not one who stays in a city. A citizen can even be one who stays in a village or in slums. One who is a member of society of whatever status, is a ‘citizen’. Citizen is one of most commonly used word in a democracy. It is used at all levels of politics. A citizen is a person who enjoys rights and performs her/his duties in a state.

We are all residents of one country or other. We acquire citizenship of our country generally by virtue of our birth. But to be a good citizen requires a lot of training and understanding. As subject of a country, every civilian has some duties and he enjoys at same time certain rights.

A good civilian is a blessing to society. He feels that he has certain responsibilities towards state, just as state has certain responsibilities towards him. Thus he is aware of both his privileges and his duties.

His foremost duty is his loyalty to country of his birth. It should be dearer to him than all his worldly possessions and he should always be ready to sacrifice everything for its sake. He should have firm and deep faith in welfare of his motherland. He has to obey law and order. He has to respect constitution of his country and to obey its laws. A good citizen is one who is conscious of both rights and duties. For instance, right to vote is one of our most important rights and it is our duty also to exercise right to vote. Good citizen should not only be conscious of their own right alone, but also give government what is its due. They should obey laws that are made by legislature and pay taxes. These are their duties towards government. But they must also perform their duties to other citizens. And most important duty of every citizen is to respect rights of others. Our Constitution gives everyone right to practice one’s religion. Every citizen, should practice religion in her/his own way; but in doing so one must respect rights of other citizens to practice their religion in way they like. Qualities of good citizens must therefore, include a consciousness of their own rights, tolerance for others and respect for laws.

Progress and development of every nation depend upon deeds of its citizens. If percentage of good citizens is higher in a nation country will have good progress and development. We must always try to work in unity, live with peace and harmony, treat everyone equally, foster understanding of education among people, and be ready to help nation in its need. When we develop these qualities in us we can be good citizens and the strength of the nation. A good citizen should always be aware of the happenings in his society and should try to do his bit to improve things. He should be vocal about his views and stand up for what he believes in, even if it means going against the mainstream opinion. He should also be ready to help those who are in need and work towards creating a society that is based on empathy and compassion. A good citizen should have a spirit of co-operation, friendliness, humanity, dedication, and devotion for his fellow-citizens. He must respect other faiths. He must not do something which brings disgrace to his society or to his country. Greatest good of greatest number should be his principle. All these good and great qualities possessed, make one a good citizen.

It is a misfortune that many in our country are indifferent to these unwritten rules of humane and social behavior. We often throw banana peels on the road, which can cause serious injuries to anyone who slips. We spit and throw garbage whenever we want. This makes the roads and the environment dirty. We waste filtered water by leaving the taps open. We have also a bitter experience of the use made of loudspeakers without any thought of the sufferings of people nearby.

All these common experiences show that we are lacking in a civic sense. A good civilian not only avoids breaking the rules himself but also tries to make sure that the rules are not broken by others. We wish to see our society peaceful. But we do not fulfill our responsibility to build a peaceful society.

Good citizens are those who give priority to the nation and never try to hurt anyone by their words or deeds. The citizens are smallest units of the nations that organize to form a family, society, and further a nation. A good citizen will surely give rise to a good family. Several good families will make a good society and finally a good nation. Thus, a good citizen is one who adjusts with his environment, lives up to the expectations of his fellowmen, according to all norms and rules of the country. With all these essential qualities, any individual belonging to any country can be called a good citizen fulfilling these norms will be termed as a good citizen in any country.

Published in The Daily National Courier, November, 15 2022

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