Governing ourselves
Being a good Indian
Every Indian citizen has some rights and some duties. Let us understand what is meant by these words rights and duties. A person who works in a school has right to expect payment for his work. In turn, it his duty to come to work on time every day and to do his work in the best possible way.
Two examples of the rights and duties of Indian citizens
- They have a right to expect that the towns are kept clean by the local government. To do this the government needs money to employ workers. It is the duty of each one of us to pay taxes so that this can be done. It is also our duty to cooperate by throwing garbage only in dustbins and not in public places or on the roads.
- We have a right to own cars and drive them on the road. We also have a duty to pay taxes so that roads can be kept in good condition. We have a duty to follow traffic riles and drive safely.
A good Indian is one who not only obeys the laws of the country, but also does something to help others.
Ashok Rao was a young collage student in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh.
One day, while he was walking along the railway line, he noticed a large gap in the railway track. Any train passing over it, would certainly meet with a major accident.
Before he could decide what he should do, he heard the whistle of a train. He looked up to find it rushing towards him at great speed. His mind raced. How could he prevent an accident in which hundreds of people might die?
He stood between the railway lines and began to wave his hands at the oncoming train. He shouted too… but it came rushing on. It looked as if the driver had not seen Ashok Rao desperate signals.
Finally Ashok took off his coat and weaved it vigorously from side to side. At the last minute, when it seemed as if he might be run over by the train, it came to a screeching halt just a short distance away.
At first the driver was angry that he was forced to stop the train. But when he got down and saw the gap in the tracks, he hugged the young man and thanked him profusely.
Ashok Rao was given a special medal called the Ashok Chakra to honor him for his brave act.
Meena and her mother were alone at home one evening. Meena noticed the light on in the bedroom of their neighbor’s house. Running to her mother, she said, `Mr. and Mrs. Suresh Gupta are still away in Mysore on their holiday. Yet there is a light in their upstairs bedroom. What should we do, mother?’
Her mother quickly picked up the telephone, dialed 100 and informed the police. Both of them slipped out of the house and informed the neighbors. All of them kept a watch on the Gupta’s house till the police arrived.
Ravi a young student travels by bus to his school everyday. He usually waits pats bus. He finds him a seat if needed and helps him cross they busy road in front of the school. Ravi helps Ram in his studies by reading aloud from the textbooks, so that he can learn more easily.
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