WIKIMEDIA COMMONS – N.N. / http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Survivors_liberation_dachau.jpg
Citizenship has meant different things at different points in the history of humankind. Today, all over the world we debate once again what it means to be a citizen. How we answer this question will decide our fates for the next century or so.
In the beginning, when we were still hunter/gatherers and led a nomadic lifestyle, a citizen was anyone who was part of the group. It had nothing to do with who your parents were or where you were born. If instance, you were born to parents who are part of the group, grew up within the group, but decided to leave the group, then you are no longer belonged. On the other hand, if you joined the group and lived by its rules, you were a citizen.
As we proceeded from a nomadic lifestyle to a more agricultural one, the definition of citizenship changed yet again. People settled down in groups, mostly beside rivers, and helped protect each other from animals and interlopers. So a citizen was basically your neighbour at the moment along with whom you protected yourself and your crops.
As kingdoms and city states came into being, a citizen came to mean anyone who lived within the city and paid taxes. You could choose to leave a kingdom or city and become a citizen elsewhere. In fact, the passport was first intend not to keep people out but to keep people in. You needed a permission on your passport to let you leave a city or kingdom.
As the services provided by the state improved and increased, a citizen was anyone who was born in the state or had become a citizen through naturalization. Citizens were seen as a contributing members of society and so they were welcome.
As trade increased, it necessitated allowing non-citizens to live within the city or state to carry out business. This was usually done with the permission of the ruler. But if someone stayed long enough and set down roots, it was common for them to be treated as a citizen.
Over time, citizenship by birth became the accepted norm in most civilized society. Contrast this to societies that tried to define citizenship through ancestry; Nazi Germany, Sudan, and most Arab states come to mind. Using lineage to define citizenship is a precursor to some of the most horrible excesses in history.
Today, India stands at a crossroads. We are faced with the dilemma that faced Germans some 80 years ago. How we answer the questions put to us will determine the amount of guilt our children will be forced to carry.
Comments