"For some days, people thought that India was shaking. But there are always tremors when a great tree falls."
"India is an Old country, but a young nation; and like the young everywhere we are impatient. I am young, and I too have a dream. I dream of an India strong, independent, self-reliant and in the forefront of the front ranks of the nations of the world, in the service of mankind."
"We must think and act like a nation of a billion people and not like that of a million people. Dream, dream, dream. Dreams transform into thoughts and thoughts result in action."
"Corruption is an insidious plague that has a wide range of corrosive effects on societies. It undermines democracy and the rule of law, leads to violations of human rights, distorts markets, erodes the quality of life, and allows organized crime, terrorism, and other threats to human security to flourish."
"Development is not about factories, dams, and roads. Development is about people. The goal is material, cultural, and spiritual fulfillment for the people. The human factor is of supreme value in development."
"The people of India require fresh air, and they require it in plenty."
"Every drop of water, every pinch of soil, every breath of air and every ray of light is our own."
"Education is the vaccine for violence."
"The world has changed, but our thinking has not changed. So, we are doing things in the old way. To make our country great, we have to think anew."
"We have believed — and we do believe now — that democracy is a self-correcting system. It is also a self-creative system."