What rights are

Rights are what we are all entitled to as human beings and members of society. But not everything we want is a right.

Rights are what we need to live with dignity, safety and respect. For example:

• education;
• earning a living;
• expressing our ideas.

And a clear limit: actions that harm ourselves or others cannot be rights.

So the chapter's definition is: "rights are justified claims". A right is a claim you can justify, because it is needed for a life of dignity, for everyone.

Our Constitution gives Fundamental Rights in six groups:

• Right to Equality (Articles 14–18);
• Right to Freedom (Articles 19–22);
• Right against Exploitation (Articles 23–24);
• Right to Freedom of Religion (Articles 25–28);
• Cultural and Educational Rights (Articles 29–30);
• Right to Constitutional Remedies (Article 32).

These rights are enforceable by law. If they are broken, people can go to court.

They protect us from unfair treatment by other people and also by the government.

The town festival story shows four rights being denied at once:

• Meena was not allowed in the debate because "girls should not speak on stage";
• Ravi, a street vendor's son, was kept out of the library stall, while a rich boy was welcomed;
• some children near the fairground were kept cleaning instead of going to school;
• Gaganjit, who uses a wheelchair, could not enter the exhibition hall because there was no ramp.

Their teacher explained that the Constitution gives every citizen these rights. The children then spoke to the organisers.

Slowly things changed. Meena joined the debate. Ravi entered the stall. Ramps were built. Volunteers got the working children into school.