Sep-2013 14 PDF
Sep-2013 14 PDF
Sep-2013 14 PDF
Voice of Research
Vol. 2 Issue 2,
September 2013
ISSN No. 2277-7733
Abstract
In any organized society, right to live as a human being is not ensured by meeting only the animal needs of man. It is
secured only when he is assured of all facilities to develop himself and is freed from restrictions which inhibit his
growth. All human rights are designed to achieve this object. Right to live guaranteed in any civilized society implies
the right to food, water, decent environment, education, medical care and shelter. The word life as employed by Article
21 takes in its sweep not only the concept of mere physical existence by also all finer values of life including the right
to work and right to livelihood. This right is a fundamental right guaranteed to all persons residing in India, citizens
and non-citizens alike. right to life including right to livelihood and work as guaranteed by Article 21 is not reduced
to a mere paper platitude but is kept alive, vibrant and pulsating so that the country can effectively march towards the
avowed goal of establishment of an egalitarian society as envisaged by the founding fathers while enacting the
Constitution of India along with its Preamble.
Keywords: Article 21, constitution of India, right to
that a short provision they were embodying in the
livelihood
Constitution has so much potentiality. Hardly ever such a
provision has made so long strides as this Article. Dr.
Article 21 is one of the prime Articles comprised in Part III
Ambedkar and a large part of the Constituent Assembly
of the Constitution of India dealing with fundamental
who has felt dissatisfied with the reach of Article 15, as
rights. Fundamental rights listed in Part III are enforceable
was Article 21 numbered in the draft constitution, to
against State as defined by Article 12 of the Constitution
compensate which Article 15A was inserted, must be
of India. State includes the Government and Parliament of
feeling happy in the heaven because of the immense
India and the Government and the Legislature of each of
content poured in Article 21 by lesser mortals. The journey
the States and all local or other authorities within the
is continuing in al its majesty. Law is never still; it cannot
territory of India or under the control of the government of
be. It has also to be moulded by deft hands to meet the
India. As laid down by Article 13 laws inconsistent with or
challenge of time, as, it has been well said that life of law is
in derogation of fundamental rights to the extent of such
not logic, it is experience.
inconsistency or derogation are treated to be void. The
State is also enjoined not to make any law which takes
Article 21 in Constitutional Settings: This Article is
away or abridges the rights conferred by Part III of the
couched in a negative form and enjoins the State not to
Constitution of India and any law made in contravention
deprive any person not necessarily only a citizen, of his
of Article 13 shall, to the extent of the contravention, be
life or personal liberty except according to procedure
void. So far as Article 21 is concerned it lays down that no
established by law. It is axiomatic that the State can
person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty
deprive any person of his life or personal liberty only
except according to procedure established by law. The
through the medium of operation of any law which is a
moot question is what is the correct connotation of the
valid law. If any procedural law can validly deprive any
word life as encompassed by the said Article. Will it
person of his life or personal liberty it should comply with
include right to livelihood or right to work or will it
the requirement s such: The procedure laid down by the
connote only bare physical existence? In this connection it
said law should be as a result of valid exercise of
is profitable to keep in view the pertinent observations
legislative power by the concerned law making authority.
made by learned author Justice B. L. Hansaria in the
In other words only a competent legislature can enact
Introduction to his book:1
such law. If the procedure laid down by such law is found
to be established by an incompetent legislature such law
The fundamental right to life which Article 21 deals with
would be a still-born one or an incompetent one and ultra
is the most precious human right and forms the arc of all
vires the powers of the concerned legislature. Result
other rights. What is more, this Article has given to the
would be that such a procedure flowing grom such invalid
people of India as much they have wanted from it. We are
law will have no effect on the life or personal liberty of any
sure, it is capable of giving more, if they would so want in
person governed by the sweep of Article 21; and Even
future. The founding fathers has perhaps not visualized
though the procedure established by law is found to have
1 Right to Life and Liberty under the Constitution, Ed. 1993
been laid down by a legislature which is competent to
published by N. M. Tripathi Pvt. Ltd., Bombay.
Voice of Research, Vol. 2 Issue 2, September 2013, ISSN No. 2277-7733
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RIGHT TO LIVELIHOOD
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RIGHT TO LIVELIHOOD
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RIGHT TO LIVELIHOOD
State of U.P.
33. Article 39(a) of the Constitution, which is a Directive
Principle of State Policy, provides that the State shall, in
particular, direct its policy towards securing that the
citizens, men and women equally, have the right to an
adequate means of livelihood. Art. 41, which is another
Directive Principle, provides, inter alia, that the State shall,
within the limits of its economic capacity and
development, make effective provision for securing the
right to work in cases of unemployment and of undeserved
want. Article 37 provides that the Directive Principles,
though not enforceable by any Court, are nevertheless
fundamental in the governance of the country. The
Principles contained in Arts. 39(a) and 41 must be regarded
as equally fundamental in the understanding and
interpretation of the meaning and content of fundamental
rights. If there is an obligation upon the State to secure to
the citizens an adequate means of livelihood and the right
to work, it would be sheer pedantry to exclude the right to
livelihood from the content of the right to life. The State
may not, by affirmative action, be compellable to provide
adequate means of livelihood or work to the citizens. But,
any person, who is deprived of his right to livelihood
except according to just and fair procedure established by
law, can challenge the deprivation as offending the right,
to life conferred by Art. 21.
The same view was taken by the Supreme Court while
rendering decision in the case of Delhi Transport
Corporation D.T.C v. Mazdoor Congress and Others8 as
The right to life includes right to livelihood, The right to
livelihood therefore cannot hang on to the fancies of
individuals in authority. The employment is not a bounty
from them nor can its survival be at their mercy. Income is
the foundation of many fundamental rights and when work
is the sole source of income, the right to work becomes as
much fundamental. Fundamental rights can ill-afford to be
consigned to the limbo of undefined premises and
uncertain applications. That will be a mockery of them.
Both the society and the individual employees, therefore,
have an anxious interest in service conditions being welldefined and explicit to the extent possible. The arbitrary
rules, such as the one under discussion, which are also
sometimes described as Henry VIII Rules, can have no
place in any service conditions.
K. Ramaswamy J. in his concurring judgment in the very
same case laid down in para 267 that Before depriving an
employee of the means of livelihood to himself and his
dependents, i.e. job, the procedure prescribed for such
deprivation must, therefore, be just, fair and reasonable
tinder Arts. 21 and 14 and when infringes Art. 19(1)(g)
8
9
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RIGHT TO LIVELIHOOD
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RIGHT TO LIVELIHOOD
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