Citizenship
Introduction
we
require certain rights so that we are able to live our life with
dignity and can progress and develop in our area of interests. we also
require protection so that we are able to have our right to life and
property. that is why we require state so that we can be protected from
threats.( now duties of state has been extended to providing minimum
quality of life.) so we require state. every individual is identified by
their nationality and loyalty to their state. In this chapter, we will
read who is a citizen? and what are the rights of the citizens?
What is citizenship?
It
is defined as full and equal membership of a political community. full
membership of a political community means that he/she enjoys all civil
as well as political rights under the protection of the state in return
of his/her loyalty to the state. loyalty to the state means that he/she
agrees to abide by the rules and regulations of the society, not be
disturbance to the society and follow his/her duties completely
along with rights. you can understand full membership by taking an
example of refugees. they do not have full membership of their country
and hence they do not enjoy any rights and live like strangers in other
country.
and
equal membership means that all citizens have got equal rights. nobody
is discriminated on the basis of caste, religion, region and gender.
When
we talk about citizenship, we talk about rights and along with this
duties. but we have won this after many struggles for example: freedom
struggle by indians. in south africa, blacks fought for equal rights.
Citizenship
is not only about state and citizens relations but also about citizen-
citizen relations, and duties of citizens to state.
Q&A
Q1. Describe the meaning and definition of citizenship.
a1. It is defined as full and equal membership of a political community.
q2. what is meant by full membership of community?
A2.
full membership of a political community means that he/she enjoys all
civil as well as political rights under the protection of the state in
return of his/her loyalty to the state.
Q3. what is meant by equal membership of citizenship?
A3.
equal membership means that all citizens have got equal rights. nobody
is discriminated on the basis of caste, religion, region and gender.
EQUAL RIGHTS
All
citizens should be provided with equal rights. but not everyone in
india gets to enjoy equal rights. For example: slum dwellers. slum
dwellers come from poorer parts of the country like Bihar and UP and
settle in towns to earn a living for them. so they migrate from their
villages and land up in metropolitan areas like Delhi and Mumbai. These
poor migrants donot get basic housing and they live in slums areas in
one small room with no clean drinking water, sanitation, proper
nourishment, and housing. but these migrants also play a very important
role by providing us cleaning services at our home, cleaning our cars
etc. so even if these poor people are indians, they do not enjoy the
basic minimum necessities of life.
Another
example is of tribal people. Their forests are being cut by rich people
for their own commercial interests. They build hotels, playgrounds and
their own beautiful locales but destroy the tribal people's area of
living.they have been rendered homeless and been rooted out from their
traditional place.
Same
is the case with women. women although they have equal rights but still
they are being discriminated. they are attacked at night and many
crimes are committed against them.
Q&A
Q1. Do tribals share the same equal rights?
A1.
Tribal people do not share equal rights.Their forests are being cut by
rich people for their own commercial interests. They build hotels,
playgrounds and their own beautiful locales. and destroy the tribal
people's area of living. They have been rendered homeless and been
rooted out from their traditional place.
Q2. Do slum dwellers share the equal rights?
A2.
Slum dwellers do not share the equal rights. they come from poorer parts
of the country like Bihar and UP and settle in towns to earn a living
for them. so they migrate from their villages and land up in
metropolitan areas like Delhi and Mumbai. These poor migrants do not get
basic housing and they live in slums areas in one small room with no
clean drinking water, sanitation, proper nourishment, and housing. but
these migrants also play a very important role by providing us cleaning
services at our home, cleaning our cars etc. so even if these poor
people are indians, they do not enjoy the basic minimum necessities of
life.
Q3. do all people enjoy equal rights?
A3. No. poor people, slum dwellers, tribals do not enjoy equal rights. as they do not have access to basic necessities.
Citizen and Nation
Nation
is different from a country. a country is defined by territory and
government with population in it. Whereas nation is defined in terms of
culture and history. a nation state provides an identity to an
individual on the basis of which they are recognised different than
other countries. for example: indian, chinese, Portuguese, American.
The
State, then, provides rights to these individuals so that they can
enjoy themselves. differnt states provide different rights.
indian
constitution has included citizenship in part 2. citizenship can be
acquired by birth, descent, registration, naturalisation and inclusion
of territory. if an individual is born in a country, he/she
automatically becomes citizen of that country.
Descent means that if his/her parents are born in that country, he/she automatically becomes citizen of that country.
Registration means by registering or applying for citizenship of another country.
Naturalisation
means that person lives in the country for a minimum period of time and
then naturally he/she acquires the citizenship of that country.
inclusion
of territory: if a country acquires a territory of a country, then the
defeated country acquires the citizenship of a victorious country.
Q&A
q1. how is citizenship acquired?
A1. citizenship can be acquired by birth, descent, registration, naturalisation and inclusion of territory.
Q.2. What do you mean by Naturalised citizenship?
Ans.
Naturalised citizenship is a process of acquring foreign citizenship.
It is a process by which foreigners acquire citizenship of any other
state in which they wish to settle permanently. Naturalised citizenship
is acquired after birth.
Universal citizenship
we
have just read that national citizenship cannot be enjoyed by people
fully because there are social and economic inequalities. no people cant
enjoy their rights fully. but when we look at the world, then we see
that war, famine and devastation have made people stateless. they do not
have citizenship of state that can provide them protection and rights.
they are dependent on the other country to provide protection and
minimum basic needs to them. india is surrounded by many countries on
its borders and almost all neighboring countries are affected by
violence and disturbance. so people leave their country and come in
india. but there's a limit to which any country can absorb refugees and
the country has to look after its own people first.
This is a globalised and interdependent world. Technology like internet,
mobile have made communications faster and easier. there are global
problems like war, devastation, weapons, famine which needs to be dealt
globally.
so now we need global citizenship and human rights so that everybody's
rights can be protected. and they can become part of the world rather
than feeling alien and worthless because they do not have protection of
state.
Q&A
Q1. What is global citizenship?
A1. global citizenship means granting human rights to every individual.
Q2. what is the need for global citizenship?
A2. We require global citizenship because:
a. we are living in an interdependent so our problems are common.
b. world is affected by globl problems like war, hunger, devastation and weapons and environmental problems.
c. we need an inclusive idea of citizenship so that everybody is respected only because they are humans.
d. boundaries have been redefined by advancement in technology and communications.
TH Marshall on citizenship
TH marshall in his book "citizenship and social class" defined
citizenship as one who possesses full and equal membership of community.
he gave three kinds of rights:
a. civil rights: protection of life , liberty and property
b. political rights: right to vote
c. social rights: right to education, employment.
Q&A
Q1.. Who was T.H. Marshall?
Ans. T.H. Marshall was a British Sociologist.
Q1. Which rights are considered most important by T.H. Marshall in his idea of citizenship?
Ans. 1. Civil Rights 2. Political Rights 3. Social Rights.
NCERT SOLUTION
Exercise : Solutions of Questions on Page Number : 78
Q1 :All citizens may be granted equal rights but all may not be able to equally exercise them. Explain.
Answer :
All citizens may be granted equal rights but all may not be able to equally exercise them due to following factors:
Socio-economic inequality that prevents equality of opportunity
Lack of accessibility to legal remedies
Lack of awareness of rights
Corruption in the government apparatus that prevents the delivery of services covered under these rights.
The consequences of these factors can be seen in the following examples:
Every child has right to education but some children are not sent to school due to gender bias and poverty and therefore are engaged in child labour.
Many women are not aware that physical and mental torture by their husband comes under domestic violence. Therefore, they are not able to seek legal remedies.
Q2 :Write a short note on any two struggles for full enjoyment of citizen rights which have taken place in India in recent years. Which rights were being claimed in each case?
Answer : The movement in India regarding the rights of lesbians and gays to express and lead a normal life demanded the decriminalisation of homosexuality by the state that was considered to be a crime. Delhi high court has decriminalised homosexuality but still the movement is on as it has not yet gained the legal approval.
Narmada Bachao Andolan is an environmental as well as human rights movement. The movement is against increasing the height of the dam. The increase in the height of the dam will flood the area and residents will get displaced. The movement is to force the government to decrease the height of the dam and pay proper compensation to the people and assure rehabilitation for them.
Both the above mentioned movements are still going on for the human rights of people. The first movement was for freedom of expression, right to security and normal life as Indian citizens. The second movement focused on the right to shelter, food, employment and security of the people as citizens of India.
Q3 :What are some of the problems faced by refugees? In what ways could the concept of global citizenship benefit them?
Answer :
Any answer supported with argument or explanation would solve the purpose. It is strongly recommended that you prepare the solution on your own. However, some sample pointers have been provided for your reference:
The following are some of the problems faced by refugees:
Refugees are not treated well by the local residents of the place.
They are considered as a burden on the local economy.
The local residents feel that refugees are snatching their job opportunities in that area.
The refugees are held responsible for spreading diseases, crime and polluting the area as they mostly live in slums and tents.
They are constrained to do useful and necessary work but at low wages.
Refugees face the problem of shelter, food and lack of employment.
Refugees are exempted from the rights that are given by the state to its people like enjoying the right of minimum standard of living and security.
Thus, they are often exploited by the police and other local residents on grounds of the rights that they lack as a member of that state.
Global citizenship would be beneficial to refugees as it will be easier to deal with problems that extend across national boundaries and require cooperation of other states.
It would also help refugees and stateless people by providing them basic rights and solutions to their problems so that they can lead a normal life.
Q4 :Migration of people to different regions within the country is often resisted by the local inhabitants. What are some of the contributions that the migrants could make to the local economy?
Answer :
Migrants contribute greatly towards the economy of the state where they are working.
They perform useful work at lower wages and make up a large proportion of the service sector.
The goods and services provided by them are counted in the GDP.
Migrants bring new skills and techniques that can be adapted to suit local conditions.
Migrant workers also pay taxes and thus contribute to economic growth of their host region.
Q5 :“Democratic citizenship is a project rather than an accomplished fact even in countries like India which grant equal citizenship”. Discuss some of the issues regarding citizenship being raised in India today.
Answer :
“Democratic citizenship is a project rather than an accomplished fact even in countries like India” as in democratic countries people are still far behind in fully enjoying the rights associated with democratic citizenship.
In the context of India, equality of rights is ensured for all citizens by the Constitution, but does not always translate on the ground.
Socio-economic inequality is a major factor preventing the access of all citizens to basic rights.
Citizens have the right to move and work freely anywhere within the territory, they have the right to enjoy basic facilities that are needed to survive and lead a healthy life but migrants are exempted from these rights as Indian citizens at some places.
Besides migrants other citizens are not able to enjoy the rights fully. Girl children are not able to enjoy the basic right of education. Many poor children are forcefully engaged in child labour though these children have got certain fundamental rights in democratic India but they are not able to enjoy it.
The issue of dual citizenship for people who reside outside the country is also a matter of debate and shows the dynamic nature of the concept of citizenship.
Therefore, it can be said that democratic citizenship is a project that has still to meet its goal rather than having accomplished it.
Q6 :Citizenship as full and equal membership of a political community involves both rights and obligations. Which rights could citizens expect to enjoy in most democratic state today? What kind of obligation will they have to their state and fellow citizens?
Answer : The rights that citizens are expected to enjoy most in democratic state are right to equality, right to vote in political elections, freedom of expression, right to have basic facilities, right to security and equal treatment by laws.
There are legal and moral obligations on citizens to participate in and contribute to the shared life of the community as well as the state. Citizens are also expected to preserve the culture and natural resources of their country.
Q1 :All citizens may be granted equal rights but all may not be able to equally exercise them. Explain.
Answer :
All citizens may be granted equal rights but all may not be able to equally exercise them due to following factors:
Socio-economic inequality that prevents equality of opportunity
Lack of accessibility to legal remedies
Lack of awareness of rights
Corruption in the government apparatus that prevents the delivery of services covered under these rights.
The consequences of these factors can be seen in the following examples:
Every child has right to education but some children are not sent to school due to gender bias and poverty and therefore are engaged in child labour.
Many women are not aware that physical and mental torture by their husband comes under domestic violence. Therefore, they are not able to seek legal remedies.
Q2 :Write a short note on any two struggles for full enjoyment of citizen rights which have taken place in India in recent years. Which rights were being claimed in each case?
Answer : The movement in India regarding the rights of lesbians and gays to express and lead a normal life demanded the decriminalisation of homosexuality by the state that was considered to be a crime. Delhi high court has decriminalised homosexuality but still the movement is on as it has not yet gained the legal approval.
Narmada Bachao Andolan is an environmental as well as human rights movement. The movement is against increasing the height of the dam. The increase in the height of the dam will flood the area and residents will get displaced. The movement is to force the government to decrease the height of the dam and pay proper compensation to the people and assure rehabilitation for them.
Both the above mentioned movements are still going on for the human rights of people. The first movement was for freedom of expression, right to security and normal life as Indian citizens. The second movement focused on the right to shelter, food, employment and security of the people as citizens of India.
Q3 :What are some of the problems faced by refugees? In what ways could the concept of global citizenship benefit them?
Answer :
Any answer supported with argument or explanation would solve the purpose. It is strongly recommended that you prepare the solution on your own. However, some sample pointers have been provided for your reference:
The following are some of the problems faced by refugees:
Refugees are not treated well by the local residents of the place.
They are considered as a burden on the local economy.
The local residents feel that refugees are snatching their job opportunities in that area.
The refugees are held responsible for spreading diseases, crime and polluting the area as they mostly live in slums and tents.
They are constrained to do useful and necessary work but at low wages.
Refugees face the problem of shelter, food and lack of employment.
Refugees are exempted from the rights that are given by the state to its people like enjoying the right of minimum standard of living and security.
Thus, they are often exploited by the police and other local residents on grounds of the rights that they lack as a member of that state.
Global citizenship would be beneficial to refugees as it will be easier to deal with problems that extend across national boundaries and require cooperation of other states.
It would also help refugees and stateless people by providing them basic rights and solutions to their problems so that they can lead a normal life.
Q4 :Migration of people to different regions within the country is often resisted by the local inhabitants. What are some of the contributions that the migrants could make to the local economy?
Answer :
Migrants contribute greatly towards the economy of the state where they are working.
They perform useful work at lower wages and make up a large proportion of the service sector.
The goods and services provided by them are counted in the GDP.
Migrants bring new skills and techniques that can be adapted to suit local conditions.
Migrant workers also pay taxes and thus contribute to economic growth of their host region.
Q5 :“Democratic citizenship is a project rather than an accomplished fact even in countries like India which grant equal citizenship”. Discuss some of the issues regarding citizenship being raised in India today.
Answer :
“Democratic citizenship is a project rather than an accomplished fact even in countries like India” as in democratic countries people are still far behind in fully enjoying the rights associated with democratic citizenship.
In the context of India, equality of rights is ensured for all citizens by the Constitution, but does not always translate on the ground.
Socio-economic inequality is a major factor preventing the access of all citizens to basic rights.
Citizens have the right to move and work freely anywhere within the territory, they have the right to enjoy basic facilities that are needed to survive and lead a healthy life but migrants are exempted from these rights as Indian citizens at some places.
Besides migrants other citizens are not able to enjoy the rights fully. Girl children are not able to enjoy the basic right of education. Many poor children are forcefully engaged in child labour though these children have got certain fundamental rights in democratic India but they are not able to enjoy it.
The issue of dual citizenship for people who reside outside the country is also a matter of debate and shows the dynamic nature of the concept of citizenship.
Therefore, it can be said that democratic citizenship is a project that has still to meet its goal rather than having accomplished it.
Q6 :Citizenship as full and equal membership of a political community involves both rights and obligations. Which rights could citizens expect to enjoy in most democratic state today? What kind of obligation will they have to their state and fellow citizens?
Answer : The rights that citizens are expected to enjoy most in democratic state are right to equality, right to vote in political elections, freedom of expression, right to have basic facilities, right to security and equal treatment by laws.
There are legal and moral obligations on citizens to participate in and contribute to the shared life of the community as well as the state. Citizens are also expected to preserve the culture and natural resources of their country.
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