Why Fundamental Rights Should Include the Mentally Disabled and Abandoned

India’s Constitution promises Fundamental Rights to every citizen — the right to live with dignity, to be treated equally, and to be protected from exploitation. But when you step onto the streets of our cities, you will see the truth that laws cannot hide: mentally disabled and abandoned individuals are still living like they don’t exist.

Despite legal protection, these vulnerable individuals are often denied even the most basic rights — food, shelter, safety, respect, and identity. Many are found lying on sidewalks, talking to themselves, begging at signals, or simply wandering with nowhere to go. They have no family, no advocate, and no one to ensure that the rights written in books are honored in real life.

 Are Fundamental Rights Truly Universal?

The Right to Equality (Article 14) says everyone is equal before the law.
The Right to Life (Article 21) guarantees a life of dignity.
The Right against Exploitation (Article 23) protects the vulnerable from abuse.

Yet, mentally challenged orphans and abandoned individuals remain the most ignored. Society treats them as "burdens," systems treat them as "cases," and often, even families abandon them — just because they are different. If rights are not accessible to the weakest, then they are not truly rights — they are privileges.

Also Read: How Many People Did You Ignore Today

How Amma Nanna NGO Is Bridging This Gap

At Amma Nanna Anada Ashramam, we believe every human deserves dignity — no matter their mental state or background. We rescue mentally challenged orphans from streets, hospitals, and railway stations. We offer them food, shelter, daily care, medical support, and — above all — a place where they are loved and accepted.

By doing this, we are not doing charity. We are simply giving them what they already deserve under the law — their fundamental rights as human beings and citizens of this country.

 What Needs to Change

• Stronger enforcement of rights for mentally disabled individuals
  
  

• Community awareness that mental illness is not a crime or curse
  
  

• Government programs that protect and rehabilitate abandoned people
  
  

• NGO support that bridges emotional, legal, and care gaps

Your Role

You don't need to be a lawyer or social worker to protect someone’s rights. Sometimes, just caring is enough — donating, volunteering, or simply refusing to ignore someone lying helpless on the street.

 Let’s Build a Society Where Rights Belong to Everyone

Including the mentally challenged, the abandoned, the voiceless.
Because rights are not real — until everyone has them.