Think about duties before asking for rights: Ghaziabad admin

Under this, while receiving the memorandum or charter of demands from agitators, officials will hand over a pamphlet displaying the charter of 10 fundamental duties to them.

To pacify protestors who agitate on the collectorate premises for various reasons, the Ghaziabad administration has started a new initiative.

Protests near Dasna, Ghaziabad. (PTI | Representational image)

Under this, while receiving the memorandum or charter of demands from agitators, officials will hand over a pamphlet displaying the charter of 10 fundamental duties to them.

District magistrate Ajay Shanker Pandey said: “As per our records, over 50 agitations have been held in the last three months at the mandated dharna-sthal in the Collectorate, including by farmers’ unions, residents’ welfare associations (RWAs) and parents’ associations. They claim that demonstration is their right, but the district administration wants to remind them about the 10 fundamental duties – expected to be followed by all bona-fide citizens,” he said.

He further said that with this move, people will understand the reciprocal relation between fundamental rights and duties. “So far, it has put a positive impact on demonstrations in the collectorate premises as they have started abiding by the law more and the participants remain peaceful,” Pandey said.

Meanwhile, activists and residents welcomed this move. Zakir Hussain, district vice-president of Jan Adhikar Party, said it was the best possible way to pacify the demonstrators. “How can a group of agitators be violent if district officials hand them over a pamphlet of fundamental duties, instead of ordering lathi-charge? This is the real Gandhigiri,” he said.