Most democratic countries today would include various political rights like –  right to vote, civil rights like the freedom of speech or belief, and some socio-economic rights like the right to a minimum wage, or the right to education in their charters or constitutions though this may vary from state to state. One of the basic rights of citizenship that is granted in the Equality of rights and status.

History of  Rights:

• The struggle for such rights can be traced  when people began to assert and demand their independence and rights against the rule of powerful monarchies
• Many European countries experienced such struggles, some of them violent, like the French Revolution, 1789
• Struggle of independence of various colonies located in Asia and Africa had the demand of equal citizenship
• Struggles to achieve full membership and equal rights continue even now in many parts of the world such as the Dalit Movement in India whose purpose is to change public opinion and to influence government policy to ensure them equal rights and opportunities 

Equal Rights:

Issues: Regardless of whether full and equivalent participation implies that all residents, rich or poor, ought to be ensured essential privileges and a base way of life by the state.

• Urban Poor: One of the urgent problems that the governments of today face is the challenge of dealing with the urban poor
• Significant contribution by slum dwellers to the economy: Through their labour as they might be sellers, negligible merchants, scroungers, or homegrown laborers, and so forth
• • Viewed as unwelcome visitors: They may be blamed for straining the resources of the city or for spreading crime and disease
  • Shocking conditions of slums: Many individuals might be packed into little rooms with no private latrines, running water, or sanitation. A slum faces various issues like insecurity of life and property

Low Welfare Expenditure: 

• On services such as sanitation or water supply poor and migrants
• Among the governments, NGOs, and even slum dwellers, the awareness about the condition of the  urban poor is increasing
• For instance, for urban street vendors in January 2004, a policy was formulated. The intention of the policy was to provide regulation and recognition to the street vendors and facilitate them in practicing their profession without any difficulty within the framework of the government rules and regulations

Awareness for their rights: 

• • They are beginning to organise to demand the rights
  • They have sometimes even approached the courts 
  • Squatters and pavement dwellers will find it difficult to provide a fixed address which would enable them to get enrolled in the electoral list, hence indeed, even an essential political right like right to cast a ballot might be intense for them to work out

Issue of Tribal People and Forest Dwellers:

• For maintaining their way of life, tribals depend on the access to forests and other natural resources accompanying it offers threat to their way of life

• The search for resources and land due to the pressure of ever increasing population
• Mining of resources in coastal and forest areas to further economic interests
• Governments are facing challenges on two ends – balancing the development of the country and protecting the tribal people and their habitat. These issues are now affecting citizens across the country and not just the tribal people
• Uniformity of application of policies to all people does not translate to equal rights as the needs of one group of people might be different from the others
• Need of new interpretations of rights of citizenship: Due to changes in the world situation, the economy and society. The formal laws regarding citizenship only form the starting point. The starting point of these might be formal laws concerning their citizenship but it needs to go further
• Concept of equal citizenship: Providing equal rights and protection to all citizens should be one of the guiding principles of government policies

Conclusion-

Rights are primarily those claims that, along with others, are necessary for leading a life of respect and dignity. In fact, one of the grounds on which rights have been claimed is that they represent conditions that we collectively see as a source of self respect and dignity. For example, the right to livelihood may be considered necessary for leading a life of dignity. Being gainfully employed gives a person economic independence and thus is central for his/her dignity. Having our basic needs met gives us freedom to pursue our talents and interests. Or, take the right to express ourselves freely. This right gives us the opportunity to be creative and original, whether it be in writing, or dance, or music, or any other creative activity. But freedom of expression is also important for democratic government since it allows for the free expression of beliefs and opinions. Rights such as the right to a livelihood, or freedom of expression, would be important for all human beings who live in society and they are described as universal in nature.