The Right to Walk as a fundamental right: Supreme Court’s recognition and the cultural idea of walking

The piece argues that the Supreme Court’s move to treat the Right to Walk on footpaths as a fundamental right is both legally coherent and culturally resonant.

The recognition of the Right to Walk emphasizes safe pedestrian movement and restores basic liberty, linking it to constitutional provisions in Articles 19(1)(d) and 21.

Historically integral to Indian modernity, walking has been a symbol of political movements and cultural identity, as seen in references to Gandhi and Tagore.