What is Fraternity?

● It refers to the idea of brotherhood and solidarity among citizens of a nation and inculcates a
sense of unity, social harmony, and mutual respect among individuals.
○ In its most literal sense, fraternity refers to a feeling of friendship and mutual support that
exists between members of a group.
● Context of Dr Ambedkar’s Writings: It also refers to individuals in Indian society breaking free of
the caste system and practising social harmony and contact in a freer and more inclusive way.
○ According to him, Fraternity is only another name for democracy.
● Related ideas: Some ideas related to fraternity include empathy, solidarity, collective caring, and
love.
Origin of the Concept of Fraternity
● Ancient Age:
○ Plato: The sharing of knowledge and love in the pursuit of wisdom are elements of
fraternity.
○ Aristotle: Justice and friendship among citizens were the most enduring features of the
state and it became the idea of political fraternity.
● Medieval Age: During the Middle Ages, it was associated with religion, particularly within the
context of Christian society in Europe.
● French Revolution: The concept of fraternity gained political significance during the French
Revolution of 1789 by the revolutionary trinity “liberte, egalite, fraternite.”.
● Fraternity in India: The drafting committee included a clause on “fraternity” in the Preamble,
which was earlier not a part of the Objective Resolution.

Theory of Justice (1971) by John Rawls

● It underscores the indispensable nature of liberty, equality, and fraternity as mutually
interdependent prerequisites for citizenship rights in his Theory of Justice (1971).
● Rawls’s ‘difference principle‘ is aimed at preserving a certain level of equality to foster
political fraternity.
● The objective has always been, and continues to be, to establish a fair playing field among
diverse social groups entrenched in structural hierarchies, thus laying the foundation for
genuine fraternal relations.

Fraternity in Indian Constitution

 ● Preamble: The Preamble to the Constitution says that the Indian republic aims to promote
fraternity, “assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation”.
○ Preamble also specifies that the nation will secure not just political and economic justice
for its citizens, but also social. This is significant considering deep division in Indian
society.
● Fundamental Duty – Article 51A(e): The duty of every citizen is to promote harmony and the
spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India.
● Source of affirming “the dignity of the individual”: The Constitution views fraternity significantly
considering it as a source of affirming “the dignity of the individual” .
● This is accomplished by recognising the moral equality of individuals, upheld through mutual
respect, despite all our differences, of religious belief, caste, language, culture, ethnicity, class and
gender.
● Unity of the Nation: Both Ambedkar and the Constitution derive the unity of the nation from
fraternity wherein a sense of mutual belonging and respect transcends all other differences
between the people.
Challenges with Fraternity in India
● Ideological Differences: Fraternity amongst individuals is hindered by ideological differences,
hence one needs to have a secular understanding of fraternity and politics.
● Casteism: The caste system in India, not only contradicts the principles of equality and liberty
but also poses challenges to the individual-centric approach upheld by the Constitution.
○ There is a widespread caste-centric unity that frequently alienates and excludes those
from lower castes.
● Communalism: Although the Indian Constitution prioritises the individual within the trio of
liberty, equality, and fraternity, thecivic life in India predominantly revolves around communal
lines leading to conflicts with community interests.
● Social Inequalities: Fraternity loses its essence if it ignores existing social disparities. It cannot be
built on social solidarity that ignores these differences.
○ Such solidarity often serves to uphold the existing social hierarchy, benefiting the already
privileged while perpetuating the subjugation of the underprivileged.
● Fundamentalism: Fundamentalism in every form undermines the idea of fraternity. A fanatic may
exhibit many traits and any sort of fundamentalism (rigid and extreme thinking) hampers the true
fraternal connections.
 ● Poor Protection Under the Law: While equality in law exists, it does not always translate into
equal protection under the law, neglecting constitutional morality and exacerbating social
division.
○ There is a failure of local compassion, of any kind of fraternity of local people as people
just stood by and captured videos of such hate crimes by the perpetrators but never
intervening to stop the mobs or to save the victims.

Judiciary’s Role in Promoting Fraternity

● Shaheen Abdulla V Union of India and ors: In this case, the Supreme Court (SC) observed that
“There cannot be fraternity unless members of community drawn from different religions or
castes of the country are able to live in harmony(emphasis supplied)”.
● Navtej Singh Johar Case: In this case, the SC has held that “showing respect for the dignity of
another is a constitutional duty. It is an expression of the component of constitutional
fraternity.”
Constitutional Morality
● Constitutional Morality refers to the adherence of individuals, institutions, and governments to
the principles and values enshrined in the constitution of a country.
● It is the belief that the constitution is the supreme law of the land, and all citizens and
institutions must respect and uphold its provisions.

Fraternity in Western World

● In his work “The Idea of Fraternity in America” (1973), M. C. Williams elucidates that
community ties form an integral value system, serving as the bedrock for the concept of
fraternity. In the Western world, fraternity evolved along these lines.
● The emphasis on community and its associated moral values, prioritised over individualism,
gradually giving rise to religious morality and its corresponding way of life.

Advancing Brotherhood in India: A Path Forward

● Gandhian Approach to Communal Harmony: He promoted the practice of universal religion.
○ He conducted prayer meetings and emphasised that reverence is more than tolerance.
○ He preached respect for all religions where Hindus, Muslims, Parsis, Christians and Jews
should live as one nation and not as followers of different religions.
● Addressing Caste Dynamics: Need to address caste dynamics to inculcate fraternity as caste and
the idea of political fraternity cannot coexist.
 ○ The caste system imposes rigid restrictions on interactions among various castes and
sub-castes.
○ For Ambedkar, a democratic nation meant the removal of such hierarchies.
● Political conditioning: The fraternity in India must be grounded in politics, where the caste
privilege can be contested.
○ It requires careful cultivation and reinforcement through political means, rather than
relying solely on moral considerations.
○ One of the central aims behind the implementation of various affirmative actions,
including the reservation system, was to foster equality among vastly disparate social
groups in terms of their access to social and economic opportunities
● Countering Religious fanaticism: Strict actions and steps should be taken to bring equality and
counter the notion of fundamentalism and religious discrimination.
○ This goal can only be achieved by fundamentally accepting the principle of equality.
○ Without this fundamental understanding, fraternal bonds may indeed exist, but they tend
to remain confined within caste groups rather than extending across them.
● Raising Awareness on Fraternity: Creating awareness among people about the constitutional
principle of fraternity will help in building a discourse of justice, equality, rights, and
empowerment possible.
● Integration with Constitutional Value: The government should make necessary public investments
and strive to ensure a minimally decent life for all persons as enshrined in the fundamental duties
and directive principles.
○ This will reduce inequalities and foster a sense of brotherhood among the fellow citizens.