New Indian Express editorial urges moral duty over rights

The New Indian Express has published an editorial arguing that India's problems, corruption, poverty, unemployment, conflict and suicides, stem from a decline in moral awareness. It says every individual must follow their own dharma and that rights and responsibilities are inseparable. If everyone performs their duties, the editorial claims, rights will be safeguarded automatically.

The piece uses the fall of the Great Wall of China in 1644 as a warning. It says the commanding general chose personal revenge and self-preservation over duty, letting enemies walk through the gates. The real fortress, it argues, is inner discipline and integrity, not stone and mortar.

The editorial contrasts modern preoccupation with rights with an older Indian tradition that taught dharma as the foundation of life. It concludes that lasting personal goodness can come only through contributing to the well-being of all.