Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Article 21

The Indian Constitution is a comprehensive record- a bible- for the Indian Democracy. And if at all there can be a first among equals, the Article 21 of the magnum opus is the most crucial and important to the lives of the People of India.

Article 21:
Protection Of Life And Personal Liberty: No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law.

Having been a responsible citizen, or so is my belief, I fail understand where does one draw the line between personal freedom, the will to do what one wants without harming others, and the violation of the procedure established by law. As a law abiding citizen of the nation, I am fully aware of my rights and duties. I know that violence should be the last resort- a form of self-defense only. I know that vandalism of public property is a punishable offense. I am aware that contempt of law is unpardonable.


But as an honourable citizen, do I not have the right to live my life according to my choice? Or for that matter, end it if I live the life of a vegetable? Euthanasia is against the law. We cannot travel to some parts of Kashmir, which we are entitled to under the article 21. I understand that there are constraints. It will set an unfavourable precedence. But let us analyze every case on an individual basis and deliberate upon its merits and demerits. As the largest democracy in the world, we have made amendments to the Constitution, and the law. But it is high time that the individual got a say, a platform to voice his desire to live life on his terms.

I can see the India of tomorrow. And I am hopeful that when I talk about the Indian democracy and it's framework a few years from now, I will be proud man.

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