If I die a violent death, as some fear and a few are plotting, I know that the violence will be in the thought and the action of the assassins, not in my dying.
My father was a statesman, I'm a political woman. My father was a saint. I'm not.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Indira Gandhi reflects on the contrast between her father's virtuous legacy and her own political persona.
In this quote, Indira Gandhi acknowledges the esteemed reputation of her father, who was a respected statesman and considered a saint, while candidly admitting that she does not match the same moral caliber. This statement illustrates her awareness of the complexities of her political life and the nuanced differences between her father's ideals and her own identity in the political arena, suggesting a reflection on the burdens of legacy and personal integrity in public life.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared during a political discussion to illustrate the challenges of living up to a legacy.
More from Indira Gandhi
All quotes βYou cannot shake hands with a clenched fist.
All my games were political games; I was, like Joan of Arc, perpetually being burned at the stake.
The power to question is the basis of all human progress.
People with clenched fists can not shake hands.
A nation' s strength ultimately consists in what it can do on its own, and not in what it can borrow from others.
Similar quotes
Our brand of democracy is hard. But I can promise that a year from now, when I no longer hold this office, I'll be right there with you as a citizen - inspired by those voices of fairness and vision, of grit and good humor and kindness that have helped America travel so far.
To straddle the middle ground and win elections, we have to be in charge of the political agenda. This can only be done by not being beaten in the argument with our critics. They complain that I come down too hard on their arguments. But wrong ideas have to be challenged before they influence public opinion and make for problems. Those who try to be clever at the expense of the government should not complain if my replies are as sharp as their criticisms.
They are patriotic in time of war because it is to their interest to be so, but in time of peace they follow power and the dollar wherever they may lead.
I never would have agreed to the formulation of the Central Intelligence Agency back in forty-seven, if I had known it would become the American Gestapo.
When people hear the term 'political prisoner,' especially on the Left, it becomes a kind of abstraction. Folks are aware of injustice, and they're aware that there are folks in prison who are in prison, you know, largely because of their activism.
We do not want to see a Hong Kong that enjoys freedoms on paper but whose autonomous status conceals the workings of a totalitarian state.