Citizen Rights
Rights are some of the privileges recognized by society and the state. By
enjoying these rights, citizens can develop their personalities. Without these
rights, people cannot realize their personalities. The main aim of rights is
to ensure the universal welfare of individuals. Rights are inevitable to
nourish the mental, social, and economic growth of citizens of the state.
Sometimes we understand by rights to do whatever we wish to do. But doing
whatever one wants to do is not right. The state gives rights for the
betterment and development of all citizens. In the name of rights, we should
not do anything harmful to others.
Classification of rights
There are mainly two kinds of rights. They are –
1) Moral rights and 2) Legal rights
1) Moral rights: Moral rights come from people’s conscience and social
morality or justice. For example – the weak have the moral right to get
assistance. The state does not enact this. As a result, it has no legal basis.
In addition, if someone violates this right, he/she cannot be punished. Moral
rights vary from one society to another.
2) Legal rights: Legal rights are those recognized by the laws of the
state. Again, legal rights can be divided into many parts. For example – a)
social, b) political, and c) economic rights.
a) Social rights: We enjoy some rights in society to live peacefully
and happily. These rights are called social rights. For example, the rights to
protect life, freedom of movement and expression, to have a family, right to
education, right to equal treatment in the eye of the law, right to property,
freedom of religion, etc.
b) Political rights: Rights to vote, right to be elected, and redress
all complaints made by application are called political rights. By enjoying
these rights, citizens indirectly get opportunities to run the state.
c) Economic rights: Rights to livelihood, developing the standard of
living, and advancing life given by the state are called economic rights. For
example, the right to work according to competence, the right to receive a
proper wage, the right to enjoy leisure and the right to a labor union.
