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Fundam
entalRights

Q.Whatdoyouunderstandbyfundamentalrights?DiscusswithrespecttoIndianConstituti

Thegeneralconceptoffundamentalrights
TherightsthatarebasictotheadvancementofthehumanracearecalledFundamentalRigh
rivedfromtheserightsasdirectimplicationsorapplicationoftheirprinciples.Itisana
ephilosophersthattheserights
arenothingbut"naturalhumanrights",whichdistinguishbetweenhumansandanimalsandw
trumentalinbringinghumansfromthestoneagetothepresentage.Amongall,therighttol
obethemostbasic.

ThehistoryoflegallyenforceablefundamentalrightsprobablystartsfromMagnaCarta,wh
htsextractedfromKindJohnbythepeopleofEnglandin1214AD.Thiswasfollowedbythe"
hmenwere given certaincivilandpoliticalrightsthatcouldnotbetakenaway.Lateron
larationoftherightsofManandoftheCitizen"aftertheFrenchRevolutionin1789.

ThemostimportantadvancementinhistoryoffundamentalrightsoccurredwhentheUSAinco
nfundamentalrightsintheformon"BillofRights"intheirconstitutionbythewayoffirs
sweredeemedtobebeyondthe vagariesofpolitics.Theprotectionbytheconstitutionmeant
dnotbeputtovoteandwerenotdependenton thewhimsofpoliticiansorofthemajority.

Afterthis,nearlyalldemocraciesoftheworldhavegivenaconstitutionalsanctitytoce
ightsavailabletotheircitizens.

NeedforFundamentalRights
1.RuleofLaw
Theserightsareaprotectiontothecitizensagainstthegovtandarenecessaryforhavin
raperson.Sinceexplicitlygivenbytheconstitutiontothepeople, theserightsdarenot
hority.Thegovt. is fullyanswerabletothecourtsandisfullyrequiredtoupholdtheseri

2.Firstfruitsofthefreedomstruggle
Afterlivinginsubjugationforsuchalongtime,peoplehadforgottenwhatismeantbyfr
oplehopeandbeliefthatthereisnostoppingtotheirgrowth.Theyarefreefromthewhims
efirstfruitsofthe
lengthyfreedomstruggleandbringasenseofsatisfactionandfulfillment.

3.QuantificationofFreedom
Evencitizensingulfcountriesorcommunistcountriesarefree.Thenhowisourfreedomd
helistoffundamentalrightsisaclearmeasurementforhowfreewereallyare.Asanexamp
racticeareligionof
hischoice,butthatisnotsointhegulfcountries.Ourrighttospeechandexpressiona
egovt.butthisisnotsoinChina.

FundamentalRightsinIndia
Technicallyspeaking,therightsspecifiedinPartIII(Art12to35)oftheconstitution
htsavailabletothecitizensofIndia.InthecaseofMenakaGandhivsUnionofIndiaAIR19
ightsrepresentthevalues
thatarecherishedbythepeopleofthiscountrysincethevedicagesandarecalculatedt
vidualandtocreateconditionsinwhicheveryhumanbeingisabletodevelophispersonality
tsarenecessaryfora
humanbeingforattainingfullsocial,intellectual,andspiritualstatus.

Theserightscanbegroupedinto6categories

1.Articles1418RighttoEquality
Art.14ensuresthatallcitizensaretreatedequally.Itenshrinestheprincipleof"Equa
alprotectionoflaw".However,thisbringsustoanimportantquestion.Shouldpeoplelivin
cebetreatedequally?InIndian
Constitution,theanswerisaresoundingno.Wehaveadoptedthemantraof"equaltreatmen
tances".ThisisreflectedinArt15,which,whileprohibitsthestatefromdiscriminatingbe
lyonthegroundsofCaste,Race,
Religion,Sex,andPlaceofBirthorallofthem[Art15(1)],alsoallowsthestatetom
dChildren[Art15(3)]andforBackwardclasses[Art15(4)].
Art.16takesthesameprinciplefurthertoemploymentingovt.jobs.
Art.17abolishesuntouchabilityandArt.18abolishesvarioustitlessuchasRaiBahadur
eBritishrule.
ThecasesofLindsleyvNaturalCarbonicGasCo,USSC1910andChiranjitLalvUnionofI
sthatillustratetheconceptofequalprotectionofthelaws.Inthesecases,theSCofboth
ons
similarlycircumstancedshouldbetreatedequally.Onlylikeshouldbetreatedalikeandt
assificationcanbedone.
SeveralcasessuchasRandhirSinghvsUnionofIndia1982(Equalpayforequalwork)illu
ality.
TheSCjudgmentinIndraSawhneyvsUnionofIndiaAIR1993incorporatestheelementoffa
ualitiesinthesociety,whilebalancingtheaspirationsofthesociallyforwardclasses.

2.Artticles1922RighttoFreedom
AcitizenofIndiaisgivenfreedomofSpeechandExpression,freedomofAssembly,freedom
domofMovement,freedomofResidence,andFreedomofProfessionandOccupationthroughArt.
Art.20givesprotectionwithrespecttoconvictionofoffenses.Thisincludestheprincip

expostfactolaw:Apersoncanonlybewithchargedwithanoffenceofanaction
rthelawofthetimewhentheactionwascommitted.
doublejeopardy:Apersoncannotbechargedwiththesamecrimeifhehasalready
ecourtandaverdicthasbeenpronounced.
selfincrimination:Apersonwillnotbeforcedtotestifyagainsthimself.

Art.21,whichisthemostimportantanddiverseofalltherightstofreedom,istheProt
erty.SCinMenakaGandhivUnionofIndiaAIR1978wasalandmarkcasethatgavewideinterp
etheSCheld
thathisrightisnotonlyabouthavinganykindoflifebutalifeofdignity.Thefreed
lasspiritual.Thisencompassesseveralrightssuchasrighttotravelabroad(SatvantSi
67)and
righttopollutionfreewaterandair(SubhashKumarvsStateofBiharAIR1991).Furthe
ct86,2002makesfreeandcompulsoryeducationtochildrenunder14afundamentalright.
Art.22givesprotectionfromillegalarrestordetention.Itprovidesthatapersonmust
farrestassoonaspossible,beallowedtospeaktoalawyerofhischoice,andbeproduced
ention.
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FundamentalR
ights
3.Art2324RightAgainstExploitation

UnderArt.23,thegovt.hasbannedtradeinhumanbeings.Thisincludesfleshtradeandf
begarsystem).
Art.24prohibitschildrenfrombeingemployedinfactoriesandhazardousconditions.

4.Art2528FreedomofReligion
Unlikeseveralcountriesoftheworld,wearefreetopractice,profess,andpropagateany
.Art.26allowsustoestablishandmaintaininstitutionsforreligiousandcharitablepurpo
ghttomanageourownreligious
matters.Art.27providestaxbenefitsforpromotionofreligionandart.28prohibitsrel
vtandgovtaidedschools.

5.Art2930CulturalandEducationalRights
Art.29allowsanysectionofcitizenslivinganywhereinIndiawhohaveadistinctlanguag
reservethesame.Art.30allowsminoritiestoestablishandmaintaineducationalinstitutio
rimination,however,art29(2)
prohibitsthemfromdiscriminationinadmissionsonlyonthegroundsofreligion,race,c
yofthem.

6.Art32RighttoConstitutionalRemedies
Dr.Ambedkar,thechiefarchitectofourconstitution,hassaidthatArticle32isthesou
lthetalkofrightsisuselessifthereisnorecourseagainsttheirtransgression.Underth
ogototheSupremeCourtforviolation
ofhisrights.

ScopeofFundamentalRights
WidestPossibleInterpretation
SCinAKGopalanvsStateofMadrasAIR1950hadheldthatthevariousrightsgivenunder
gsandarenotbeinterlinked.Thisview,however,hasbeenrightlyrejectedbytheSCinMen
978
case.Inthiscase,JBhagvatisaidthattheroleofSCshouldbetointerprettheseright
nditshouldnotattenuatetheserightsbybeingconfinedtotheirnarrowdefinition.Allthe
yexclusiveandforman
integratedthemeoftheconstitution.JBegsaidthattheirwatersmustmixtoformagra
ialjustice.Thus,anylawthattakesawaythelifeorlibertyofaperson,mustalsosatisf
rart.14.

NaturalJusticeandDueProcess
InMenakaGandhi'scase,SChasheldthatanylawthattakesawaythelifeorlibertyofa
ir,andreasonable.Itmustsatisfytheprincipleofnaturaljustice,whichisabasiccompon
rArt.21.WhileArt
21doesnotcontainthe"dueprocess"clauseoftheAmericanConstitution,theeffectist
usticeisadistillateofdueprocessi.e.naturaljusticescanonlybedeliveredthroughdue

ExpandingtheroleofwritofHabeasCorpus
ThecaseofSunilBatravsDelhiAdminAIR1980hasgiventremendouspowertothewritofH
iarytoevenenforcethefundamentalrightsinaprison.Evenprisonersarehumansandmustb
ycannotbe
strippedoffoftheirfundamentalrights,thusmenialorforcedworkwithoutpay,solitary
radingpunishment,isnotallowed.Thiscasehasalsoallowedpeoplewhoarenotdirectlyinv
teresttoapproachthecourt.The
objectiveistoremoveinjusticewhereveritisfoundinthesociety.

AbsolutenessofFundamentalRights
"Yourfreedomendswheremyfreedomstarts"isawellknownsaying.Theconstitutiongives
teyourreligion.Butdoesthatmeanyoushouldforcemetohearreligiousactivitiesoverth
tutiongivesyouthe
freedomofspeechandexpression.Butdoesthatmeanyoucanpublishandsellpornographyf
Thesethingsclearlytellusthatnorightisabsolute.IndianConstitutionalsotakesthe
sthelimitsoftheserights.Theserightsextendonlyuntiltheydonotaffectsecurityoft
ialdecency.Theconstitution

allowsreasonablerestrictionstobeplacedontheserights.SCinAKGopalanvsStateof
undamentalRightsarenotabsolute.

SuspensionofFundamentalRights
Underart358,freedomsgivenunderart19aresuspendedwhenthepresidentproclaimsemer
erart359,presidentmaysuspendtherighttomovecourtsforviolationofrightsgiveninp

CriticalAnalysis
IndianConstitutionwaswrittenafterathroughanalysisofexistingconstitutionofthew
ftheconstitutionhaveincorporatedthegoodthingsfromalltheplaces.Assuchitismore
giousbooks.Itisfortheforesightof
theframersoftheconstitutionthatthecountryisintegratedandhasprogressed.Whileth
outalotofthings,theonethingthattheyprobablymissedwasthesafeguardsagainstthed
cians.
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