Be A Good Citizen

A good citizen is someone who respects others and their property, is helpful and considerate, willing to put others first. He listens to the views of others and thinks about what they have to say, helps people who are not in a position to help themselves, respects the environment and does not damage it in anyway. He works hard, is well mannered and pleasant and is always willing to learn. We are used to living under laws and patterns that are dictated to us by society but just following those patterns does not make us good citizens. To be a good person, one has to be full of values, principles, ethics etc.

An important aspect of being a good citizen is to help people. All around us, we can see there are people in need of our help. We should lend our helping hand not only to poor people but also pregnant women, old and sick people. Our small actions can make a big difference. If you have been blessed with a sound mind and body, it is your responsibility to look out for children, the aged, the disabled and those who are down on their luck and help them.

Another important thing for a good citizen is to have an active participation in his community. We can do this in a lot of ways. When elections come we must exercise our voting right and vote for the most deserving candidate. We should also participate in neighbourhood meetings for deciding about the maintenance of the streets and other matters and put forth our point of view. Be proactive and take initiative when you see problems in your community. One good citizen can be an enormous force.

Respect the people who live around us. We should remember that other people have similar rights like we do. Respect is one of the most important bases when living in a society. We all have freedom, but it is restricted to a certain point. We cannot consider a killer or a thief good citizens as they have violated that restriction. Volunteer to do good deeds such as tutoring at schools, visiting nursing homes, working at elections, helping disaster relief agencies, donating to hospitals or cleaning up a park or nature preserve.

If you live in an area where neighbours do not know each other, start a new tradition. Have a block party or a get-together. Get to know the names of your postman, garbage pick-up workers and show an interest in people you meet on a regular basis. As adults, we also have obligations to contribute to the society and make our corner of the world a little better.

Dr (Mrs) Archana Bharat