Indira Gandhi was born on November 19, 1917.She was an Indian politician. She was the central figure of the Indian National Congress.She was India’s third prime minister and the country’s first female leader. Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister, was the father of Gandhi, and Kamala Nehru was her mother. From January 1966 to March 1977 and again from January 1980, she was the prime minister.Indira Gandhi Quotes On LeadershipRead these quotes and see how Gandhi took a step forward every time for the construction of the nation’s strength ultimately.“You can’t shake hands with a clenched fist.”- Press conference, New Delhi, October 19, 1971"Popularity is not a guarantee of quality."“The power to question is the basis of all human progress.”“Forgiveness is a virtue of the brave.”“You must learn to be still in the midst of activity and vibrantly alive in repose.”“The meek may one day inherit the earth, but not the headlines.”“A nation’s strength ultimately consists in what it can do on its own and not in what it can borrow from other.”“Education is a liberating force, and in our age, it is also a democratizing force, cutting across the barriers of caste and class, smoothing out inequalities imposed by birth and other circumstances.”“Whenever you take a step forward, you are bound to disturb something.”“The purpose of life is to believe, to hope, and to strive.”“There are two kinds of people, those who do the work and those who take the credit. Try to be in the first group; there is less competition there.”“Have a bias toward action – let’s see something happen now. You can break that big plan into small steps and take the first step right away”“Winning or losing of the election is less important than strengthening the country.”“I have lived a long life, and I am proud that I spend the whole of my life in the service of my people. I am only proud of this and nothing else. I shall continue to serve until my last breath, and when I die, I can say, that every drop of my blood will invigorate India and strengthen it.’’-BBSR Parade Ground, Bhubaneswar, October 30, 1984"The lives of martyrs cannot be valued in terms of money. Their sacrifice is beyond recompense. But a grateful nation remembers its debt and its obligation to them to mitigate the sufferings of their wives and children.”‘‘Martyrdom does not end something; it is only a beginning.““All the people who fought for freedom were my heroes. I mean, that was the sort of story I liked reading… freedom struggles and so on.““I’ve never turned to anybody for advice and counsel. Even when I was a very small child, I had to stand on my feet because of the circumstances of those times, and somehow, the circumstances have remained more or less the same. I have to take my own decisions.““The Himalayas have shaped our history; they have moulded our philosophy; they have inspired our saints and poets. They influence our weather. Once they defended us; now we must defend them. Our defense services are learning to know them and to love them."“Every new experience brings its own maturity and a greater clarity of vision.““Have a bias toward action - let’s see something happen now. You can break that big plan into small steps and take the first step right away.““There is no love where there is no will.““I am not a person to be pressured - by anybody or any nation.’’“I’m certainly not a workaholic.““Ability is not always gauged by examination.““The people have nothing to fear of me; people have never feared me.““Wearing khadi was a badge of honor. It was something one was proud to do.““If I see something dirty or untidy, I have to clean it up.““I don’t think my father was my mentor.““Without courage, you cannot practice any other virtue. You have to have courage - the courage of different kinds: first, intellectual courage, to sort out different values and make up your mind about which is the one which is right for you to follow. You have to have the moral courage to stick up to that - no matter what comes in your way, no matter what the obstacle and the opposition is.““I do not like carving the world into segments; we are one world.‘‘Indira Gandhi Quotes On Political SocietyShe was a central figure and a democratizing force, which revolutionized the politics of the country India post-independence, having the power of a politician in hand.“The environmental problems of developing countries are not the side effects of excessive industrialization, but reflect the inadequacy of development.““This is why we feel that democracy’s important: because democracy allows you to have small explosions and therefore avoid the bigger explosions.““We want progress, we want development, but in such a way that it does not disrupt the life of the area, the looks of the area, the beauty of the region and does not alienate the people from their own surroundings.““Let us not allow ourselves to be oppressed by frustration or misguided by anger into the wrong action which will inevitably increase the burden on the common man, undermine the very foundations of democracy and imperil the well-being and happiness of us all. But let our concern lead us to the constructive effort, to hard work, to co-operation.““There are moments in history when brooding tragedy and its dark shadows can be lightened by recalling great moments of the past.““I don’t mind if my life goes in the service of the nation. If I die, every drop of my blood will invigorate the nation.““Opportunities are not offered. They must be wrested and worked for. And this calls for perseverance… and courage.““One must beware of ministers who can do nothing without money, and those who want to do everything with money.““There exists no politician in India daring enough to attempt to explain to the masses that cows can be eaten.““We always said that our struggle was not only against the British as representatives of colonialism, it was against all the evil that existed in India. The evil of the feudal system, the evil of the system based on caste, the evil of economic injustice.““On the one hand, the rich look askance at our continuing poverty - on the other, they warn us against their own methods.““The purpose of life is to believe, to hope, and to strive.““People tend to forget their duties but remember their rights.““You must learn to be still in the midst of activity and to be vibrantly alive in repose.““I have already reached out to the Janata, and I am only trying to acquaint myself with people’s problems."-Morning Echo, Sunday, September 25, 1977"We have to prove to the disinherited majority of the world that ecology and conservation will not work against their interest but will bring an improvement in their lives.““My son had nothing to do with policy or decision making, nor did I discuss the elections or any other matter with him.”- BBC television, David Frost, August 31, 1977"There are grave misgivings that the discussion on ecology may be designed to distract attention from the problems of war and poverty.““All my games were political games; I was, like Joan of Arc, perpetually being burned at the stake.““Difficulties can’t be eliminated from life. Individuals will always have them, countries will always have them…The only thing is to accept them, if possible overcome them, otherwise to come to terms with them. It’s all right to fight, yes, but only when it’s possible."(Famous Indira Gandhi quotes to enlighten you)Indira Gandhi Quotes On WomenPower and Freedom for women in politics came after a lot of struggles, as it took a lot of effort to break the notion that women are bound to disturb something if they get into politics.“To bear many children is considered not only a religious blessing but also an investment. The greater their number, some Indians reason, the more alms they can beg.”‘‘Ability, and not class or community or wealth, should determine what education a child should have, what school he or she should go to.““My father was a statesman; I am a political woman. My father was a saint. I am not.““To be liberated, a woman must feel free to be herself, not in rivalry to man but in the context of her own capacity and her personality.““Until the day she died, my mother (Kamala Nehru) continued to fight for the rights of women. She joined all the women’s movements of the time; she stirred up a lot of revolts. She was a great woman, a great figure. Women today would like her immensely.““Even if I died in the service of the nation, I would be proud of it. Every drop of my blood… will contribute to the growth of this nation and make it strong and dynamic.““I think basically I’m lazy, but I have a housewife’s mentality when I go about my job.““Women sometimes go too far, it’s true. But it’s only when you go too far that others listen.“Indira Gandhi Quotes On HappinessHappiness comes from small things in life. Read these quotes and see what happiness meant to Gandhi.“I was happy to be with my parents. I didn’t see very much of them, so I was very happy when my father was there and out of jail.““Happiness is a state of mind, you know. I don’t think you are permanently happy. One is happy about certain things and not so happy about others.““You soon realize that the peak you’ve climbed was one of the lowest, that the mountain was part of a chain of mountains, that there are still so many, so many mountains to climb…And the more you climb, the more you want to climb - even though you’re dead tired.““Difficulties can’t be eliminated from life. Individuals will always have them, countries will always have them…The only thing is to accept them, if possible, overcome them, otherwise to come to terms with them. It’s all right to fight, yes, but only when it’s possible.““To become capable, one must have faith in oneself.““A nation’s strength ultimately consists in what it can do on its own, and not in what it can borrow from others.““The greatest of all contraceptives is affluence.““I learned very soon to get along by myself.““Education is a liberating force, and in our age, it is also a democratizing force, cutting across the barriers of caste and class, smoothing out inequalities imposed by birth and other circumstances.““Actions today mould our tomorrows.’’“I am frequently attacked.““I cannot understand how anyone can be an Indian and not be proud.’’“What matters is that we should achieve what we set out to do.““Social change is brought about by those who dare and act, who can think unconventionally and who can court unpopularity.““Our ancient philosophy speaks of right action. Life’s journey should be in quest neither of power nor wealth but of inner worth. The Gita says, ‘To action alone have you a right, not to its fruits.’”
Indira Gandhi was born on November 19, 1917.