Rights and Duties are closely related and in return of every right, we have to

discharge few duties. If we don’t discharge our duties properly, rights become
meaningless. They are two sides of the same coin and always go together as two
lines of the railway track or two banks of a canal. They are as closely related as
two lines of the railway track or two banks of a canal. Rights are what one wants
others to do for him/her, whereas duties are those acts that one should perform for
others.

According to Dr. Beni Parsad, “Rights and Duties are two aspects of same thing.
If one looks at them from one’s own stand point, they are rights and if one looks at
them from the stand point of others, they are duties”.

Before explaining the relationship between rights and duties, it is essential to know
the meaning of rights and duties.

Meaning of Rights

Rights are defined as claims of an individual that are essential for the development
of his or her own self and that are recognized by society or the State. The main aim
of modern states is to provide more and more facilities to its citizens and to
improve their living standard. To achieve this aim, state provides many facilities
which are known as rights. The state which provides more rights is known as a
good state. Prof. Laski has aptly said, “The state is known by the rights it
maintains”. Rights are necessary conditions for the personal, social, economic,
political, moral and intellectual development of individual. It ensures social
development also. We can say that rights provide necessary environment for
individual as well as societal growth.

According to Laski, “Rights are those conditions of social life without which no
man can seek in general, to be himself at his best.”
According to T.H.Green, “Rights are powers necessary for the fulfillment of man’s
vocation as a moral being.”

Two Aspects of Rights

There are two aspects of rights, Personal aspect and Social aspect. By personal
aspect we mean that the rights are essential for the personal development of an
individual such as- Right to Work, Right to Education, Right to Family Life etc.

By Social Aspect of Rights, we mean that rights are linked with social
development, so individual must make use of his rights keeping in mind the social
interests. For eg: in democracy, people are given the right to speech and expression
but it does not mean that this right must be used to abuse others. In short, there is
close relationship between rights and duties.

Meaning of Duties

The word duty has been derived from word ‘debt’, which means loan. Thus duty is
a kind of loan, which citizen pays in return of his rights. It is his obligation. Every
citizen has some responsibilities towards himself, towards society and towards
state. These responsibilities are known as duties. In the words of former President
of India, Dr. Zakir Hussain, “Duty is not dumb obedience; it is active desire to
fulfill obligations and responsibilities”

According to Keaton – A duty is an act which should be enforced by the state in

preserving the rights given to the people and also in order to protect the interest of
the people.

Relationship between Rights and Duties

It is rightly said that, Rights and Duties are two sides of same coin. A citizen
cannot enjoy rights in isolation because the rights of some are the duties of others.
Therefore, the rights and duties are correlated. Aristotle the father of political
science writes” A good citizen makes a good state” and Gandhi ji opines that “If
we all discharge our duties, rights will not be far to seek”. Following points prove
close relationship between two.

1. My right is my Duty

In the words of Prof. Laski, ‘My rights are my Duties’. Rights and duties are
cannot be separated from one another. These are the two sides of the same coin. If
the state gives me the right to life, it becomes my duty that I will not put anyone’s
life in danger. If I have a right to work and earn, it is also my duty to recognize the
same right of others.

2. My Right is Duty of Others:

Prof.Laski writes that, ‘I can enjoy my rights only if others perform their duties
properly’. It is student’s right to understand all the topics of syllabus but it will not
be possible if teacher does not perform his duty to teach well. It is patient’s right to
get best possible medical help but it will not be possible if doctors don’t perform
their duty properly.

3. Rights and Duties go side by side:

Rights and duties cannot be separated. If state gives rights to its citizens, it also
imposes some obligations or duties on him. More rights mean more duties. If state
makes provision for fundamental rights, it is supposed to add a chapter of
fundamental duties also in constitution.

4. It is my duty to use my rights for social good:

Rights originate in society. Therefore, while enjoying rights, we must always try to
promote social interest. It is the duty of every one of us to use our rights for
promoting the welfare of the society as a whole. If someone fails to do so, state has
all the right to take his rights back. For example, if someone uses the right to
freedom of speech for spreading communal bitterness in society, the state will then
be justified in depriving that person of his right to speak freely.

5. Since the State guarantees and maintains My Rights, I have the Duty to
support the State: Since state protects and enforces rights, it also becomes the
duty of all citizens to be loyal to the state. It is their duty to obey the laws of the
state and to pay taxes honestly. Citizens should always work for national interest
and must be ready to defend the state.

The above-mentioned relations between rights and duties, there for clearly prove
that rights and duties go hand in hand. A healthy society is impossible without the
co-existence of rights and duties. Rights without duties have no meaning and duties
without rights have no sense.