Campaign I: Civic Responsibility – Every Citizen Has a Duty

Introduction

Civic responsibility is the foundation of any healthy, functioning society. It refers to the duties and obligations that citizens have toward their community, state, and nation. These responsibilities are not limited to obeying laws or paying taxes—they include active participation in shaping the society we live in. Without a sense of civic duty, societies fall into corruption, division, and stagnation. With it, communities thrive with justice, fairness, and shared progress.

For Manipur, where corruption and disunity have weakened our collective strength, civic responsibility is not just an idea—it is a necessity for survival and growth. When every citizen understands and practices their civic duty, the entire society benefits.

What is Civic Responsibility?

Civic responsibility means recognizing that our individual actions affect the larger community. It is the awareness that being a citizen comes with both rights and duties. Too often, people focus on rights—such as the right to vote, to free expression, or to development—without recognizing the responsibilities that accompany them.

Examples of civic responsibilities include:

• Respecting the law and ensuring justice.
• Voting wisely and refusing to sell one’s vote.
• Serving the community through volunteering, cooperation, and collective action.
• Holding leaders accountable and demanding transparency.
• Protecting shared resources, such as public land, environment, and cultural heritage.
• Practicing tolerance and unity, rather than division and selfishness.

In essence, civic responsibility is about choosing the common good over personal gain.

Why Civic Responsibility Matters

1. Strengthens Democracy
   Democracy can only survive when citizens participate actively and responsibly. If people sell their votes, remain silent in the face of corruption, or ignore their duties, democracy becomes hollow. Real power rests not in leaders, but in the collective responsibility of the people.
2. Builds Trust and Unity
   A society where citizens respect rules, contribute to the community, and hold one another accountable is a society that people can trust. Without civic duty, mistrust grows, and people start competing for limited resources rather than working together for growth.
3. Protects the Vulnerable
   Civic responsibility ensures fairness. It requires us to care for the poor, the marginalized, and the voiceless. When citizens step up to defend justice, the entire community becomes stronger.
4. Shapes the Future
   The choices we make today—whether we act responsibly or irresponsibly—determine the opportunities of the next generation. Civic duty is about leaving behind a society better than the one we inherited.

How It is Affecting Us

In Manipur, the lack of civic responsibility has become a root cause of corruption and underdevelopment. Many citizens, frustrated with poor governance, have chosen silence or even participation in the corrupt system by selling votes or ignoring injustices.

This has created a vicious cycle:

• People sell votes → corrupt leaders win → corruption deepens → development stalls → people remain poor → people sell votes again.

Breaking this cycle requires a renewal of civic responsibility. Every Manipuri must realize: “If I act selfishly, my society suffers. If I act responsibly, my society grows.”

How Young Citizens Can Practice Civic Responsibility

1. Be an Informed Voter
   Learn about candidates and parties. Vote for integrity and vision, not for money or short-term benefits.
2. Speak Against Corruption
   Even small acts of resistance—refusing bribes, reporting wrongdoing, or discouraging others from corrupt acts—can create a ripple effect.
3. Serve the Community
   Participate in local initiatives, whether cleaning public spaces, helping the less fortunate, or preserving culture and environment.
4. Promote Unity, Tolerance and Democratic Society
   Reject divisive politics. Respect diversity of communities and work toward common goals.
5. Lead by Example
   Integrity is contagious. When one person acts responsibly, it inspires others.

Discussion Points for Students

• Why do you think many people ignore their civic duties?
• How does selling a vote affect the entire community, not just the voter?
• What are three small acts of civic responsibility you can start practicing today?
• Do you think youth can make a bigger impact than older generations? Why?

Conclusion

Civic responsibility is the duty that binds citizens together. It is the force that transforms a group of individuals into a thriving society. For Manipur, it is the key to overcoming corruption, division, and underdevelopment.

Every citizen has a choice: either act selfishly and watch society decline, or act responsibly and help society rise. The future of Manipur depends not only on leaders, but on the everyday choices of its people.

Civic responsibility is not someone else’s job—it is yours, it is mine, it is ours.

We pledge to fulfill our duties as citizens and put community before self-interest.

Student Activity Guide: Civic Responsibility

Objective

To help students understand the meaning of civic responsibility, reflect on its importance, and practice applying it in real-life situations.

1. Icebreaker: Rights vs. Duties (15 minutes)

• Instructions: Write two columns on the board: “Rights” and “Duties.”
• Ask students to brainstorm as many examples as they can for each (e.g., Right to education Duty to respect teachers and school property).
• Discussion Question: Why do you think people often remember their rights but forget their duties?
• sible act can harm an entire society.

2. Role-Play: The Honest vs. Corrupt Citizen (25 minutes)

• Setup: Divide students into groups of 4–6. Each group acts out a short scene where citizens face a civic choice:
  • Paying/accepting a bribe
  • Throwing litter vs. keeping public space clean
  • Voting for money vs. voting for vision
• Twist: Half of the group plays responsible citizens; the other half plays irresponsible ones.
• Outcome: After the role-play, discuss how the two versions of society (responsible vs. irresponsible) would look after 10 years.

3. Activity: Civic Pledge Wall (10 minutes)

• Instructions: Provide sticky notes or slips of paper. Ask each student to write one civic responsibility they personally commit to (e.g., “I will never sell my vote,” “I will report corruption,” “I will help keep my school clean”).
• Action: Stick them on a wall or board to create a “Civic Pledge Wall.”
• This visual reminder can stay up as a symbol of collective responsibility.

4. Reflection Exercise: My Civic Responsibility Plan (Homework or 15 minutes in class)

• Ask students to write a short reflection:
  • One civic duty they already practice.
  • One new civic responsibility they will commit to.
  • How this will help their community.
• Collect and (optionally) share a few aloud in the next class.

Teacher’s Tips

• Keep the activities practical and student-cantered.
• Always tie discussions back to real-life situations in Manipur—this makes it more relevant.
• Encourage honesty—let students share openly about challenges they see in society.

Closing Thought for Students

“Being a good citizen doesn’t begin when you grow older—it begins today, with every small choice you make. Civic responsibility is not just about obeying laws, it’s about caring for your community and shaping the future of Manipur.”