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Liberty: Keywords of the Preamble

The term "liberty" refers to the lack of limits on people's actions while still enabling them to develop their own identities.

Every person of India is guaranteed liberty in the Preamble of the Constitution. The concept of liberty relates to Indian citizens’ freedom of action. Personal liberty is amongst the most basic human rights since it impacts the most fundamental aspects of an individual’s bodily freedom. It is unimaginable to imagine life without liberty. Who wants to be on the end of someone else’s leash, afraid at every turn? Liberty, equality, fraternity, or the trinity, always bloom and invigorate the flower of humanity. The right to personal liberty is one of democracy’s gifts to mankind.

Article 19 guarantees life and personal freedom, which are further guaranteed by Articles 20(3), 21 and 22 of the Constitution, and freedom of movement is guaranteed by Article 19. Personal liberty is a complex and interconnected notion. It is legal safeguarding invariably clashes with other significant values.

Origin of Liberty

With contact with the contemporary West, Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1948) and Manabandra Nath Roy (1887–1954) brought the concept of liberty to the forefront of Indian political thought. Gandhi’s view of liberty was framed by swaraj. This multifaceted term was central to his thinking. Gandhi used the word swaraj, which literally means “self-rule,” to represent national independence and individual political, economic, and spiritual freedom.

National independence was tightly linked to the concept of liberty, which meant communal freedom from foreign authority, much as it was with “modern” Islam. As defined by the concept of swaraj, national independence meant not just independence from foreign authority but also self-government. Gandhi’s devotion to political independence made him a rights champion, but he refused to base collective life’s peace and security on rights.

Liberty in Context of the Indian Constitution

  • The French Revolution is responsible for the values of liberty, equality, and brotherhood.
  • As expressed in Part III of the Constitution, our Constitution believes in several forms of freedom, including social, civil, and political freedoms.
  • Article 19 guarantees the freedom of opinion and speech, whereas Article 21 guarantees the right to life and personal liberty.
  • In order to avoid injury in the name of liberty, the Constitution imposes some restrictions.

Ideals of Liberty

The Indian Constitution’s Preamble clearly defines the ideas of liberty, which include freedom of opinion, speech, religion, faith, and worship.

Liberty of Thought

Human beings require liberty of mind to create free ideas and creativity in their lives and the freedom to make decisions according to their own desires without harming others. It also aids the development of new ideas and serves as the foundation for scientific and cultural progress.

Liberty of Expression

There is no such thing as a wholly erroneous thought. Truth does not appear on its own and is constantly in danger of being reduced to a mindless cliché. A society that entirely suppresses any ideas that are now unaccepted risks losing out on the advantages of potentially extremely useful information.

Liberty of Faith, Belief and Worship

These essential ideas provide humanity with a sense of security, allowing them to follow religion as they like.

Conclusion

Liberty entails our ability to make the best decisions, weigh available options rationally, and take responsibility for our acts. Hence, liberty must be developed via education and the development of judgement just as much as it must be maintained by restricting the state’s and society’s power.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Get answers to the most common queries related to the BPSC Examination Preparation.

What is liberty's purpose?

Ans. According to the preamble, the objective of liberty is to enable people to follow their passions. As a resul...Read full

What is the significance of liberty in human rights?

Ans. The right to liberty stipulates that people should not be arrested or detained unless required by law a...Read full

What does the Indian Constitution mean by liberty?

Ans. The concept of liberty includes Indian citizens’ freedom in their daily lives. This shows that Indian ...Read full

What are the liberty challenges?

Ans. Positive and negative liberty are two sides of the same coin. Positive liberty denotes the region of society...Read full