Essay, Paragraph or Speech on “Qualities of A Good Citizen” Complete Essay, Speech for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

Qualities of A Good Citizen

Man is a social animal. By nature he dreads solitude and craves for society. In the society which he lives in, he expects others to be good to him. It is possible only if he himself becomes a good member of the society. Societies have grown into nations and men have become citizens of one or the other country. Hence, the need for defining the qualities of a good citizen.

To quote an author,” Citizenship is the status of a citizen with its rights and duties”. Good citizens are an asset to, every state or country and it is the duty of the state to create suitable conditions for promotion of good citizenship. Originally, the idea of citizenship developed gradually as a result of development of trade and centralised markets. In ancient times, the agricultural labourers were treated as Sudras. As time passed, they were given certain rights in their country and due to this, they came to be called citizens. Civic life is essentially a matter of social give and take. Rights and duties, privileges and responsibilities always go hand in hand. If a citizen has a right of personal progress and protection, he has also an obligation to sub serve the interests of his government by his implicit obedience to laws and allegiance to the state.

Within the state a citizen has not only the right to live and prosper with full freedom, but he has also some duties towards the state. He has been provided with many rights by the state so that he can live happily and can proudly say like the ancient Romans:” I am a Roman Citizen” A citizen who performs his duties honestly and scrupulously is called a good citizen. But he cannot be called a good citizen simply because he enjoys his rights well. He must also possess some specific qualities, which he must display from time to time according to the need of the occasion before he can be placed in that category.

The future of a country mainly depends upon its citizens as they are pillars of society. If they are basically cultured and educated they can do a lot for the country. Only people blessed with intellectual and physical vigour can contribute to the general good of society to which they belong. An emasculated dried-up and deficient man can never become a good citizen.

The first basic quality of a good citizen is that he must be loyal and faithful to the state. This requirement is inherent and absolute. If a situation arises in which the existence of the state or its territorial integrity or unity is endangered, a good citizen is bound to protect the state by rendering all kinds of services including military service. He should act as a soldier and saviour of the nation during war and a watchdog of moral values of its rulers during peace. When the whole atmosphere is electrified or aroused to action a good citizen instantly responds to it buy coming out of his shell and doing his duty to the nation. A good citizen should place his entire wealth, intellect and energy at the service of the country. He should stand up for the larger ideals and should cherish a humanitarian approach to all problems. He should promote friendliness and understanding among people of different lands.

A good citizen should always realise his duties and responsibilities outside the sphere of his own life. He should rid himself of the inertia which is the legacy from the epoch of our slavery. A good citizen will not keep waiting for the government to take up some work of public good which it identifies as requiring urgent action It is a wrong attitude on the part of citizens to look up to the government for all works of public welfare. If there is any shortcoming anywhere, he should make it up by personal or collective effort using his initiative. He should take the lead in directing and channelising the energies of young people to do constructive work. He should be more responsive to new ideas promoting peace and socialism. If each citizen contributes even a small part of his time and energy towards the service of the country, a miracle can be achieved in the progress of the country.

To be ready and willing at all times to render social service is one of the essential qualities of a good citizen because social service has an elevating influence. It takes citizens out of the narrow groove of their selfish pursuits into wider field of activity. Social service is an antidote to individualism. In fact, it is hard for a person, who does not perform some degree of social service in some field or the other, to deserve to be called a good citizen.

The more a citizen inculcates this habit of doing something for the general good, the more will he be contributing towards the advancement of the society because social service brings the best of his inner hidden qualities to the surface. It brings out of the best in him. For citizen to qualify as a good citizen, these qualities are indispensable. These can help the country in its march to prosperity.

Every citizen should voluntarily surrender a part of his natural freedom in return for the privilege of enjoying the civil advantages. It must be remembered that to devote oneself to the service of the society to which one belongs, is not merely a moral duty enjoined upon man by human institutions but is a patent biological fact, which is quite inseparable from man’s inherent nature.

It may, however, be added that a true citizen is not under an obligation to follow blindly the dictates of his country, right or wrong. On the other hand he is expected to develop such knowledge and power of thinking as will enable him to take sound and fair personal decisions. If the government becomes corrupt, inefficient and unjust it is the bounded duty of good citizen to raise his voice against the high-handedness of the state and if need be, to work for the change of the government through constitutional methods, i.e., through the battle of the ballot.

In relation to other nations, a good citizen must inculcate a fair and just attitude while being always vigilant and watchful of one’s own national interest. One must have an objective approach to the acts and aspirations of other nations which is essential for world peace. While patriotism is our first duty, it must be remembered that patriotism is not enough. As a matter of fact, a good citizen will strike a judicious balance between the national, international, local, family and personal interests.

The duties of a good citizen are of a complex nature. At times, a good citizen has to move against the popular current of thought, in the larger interests of the nation and to uphold the value of truth and morality.

A man may be highly educated, a profound scholar and an efficient technician and yet he may be lacking in civic sense and be far from being a good citizen. Citizens are made, not born. As such, citizenship is an art which has to be learnt through practice and experience. There is need for us to translate these ideals in our day-to-day social conduct and transform the mode of our relationship with those among whom we move and live.