“The police... should never go on strike. Theirs was an essential service and they should render that service, irrespective of their pay. There were several other effective and honourable means of getting grievances redressed.”
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Probable attribution
This saying is widely associated with Mahatma Gandhi, but the attribution is not supported by a reliable primary source.
Likely origin: Reported response to policemen during a Gaya police strike, 24 March 1947; reconstructed in a later The Hindu op-ed. No dated primary transcript located.
About this quote
Some jobs carry a duty that can't be set down without leaving people exposed, so even a fair grievance has to be pressed by means that don't hold anyone's safety hostage. What you owe the people you protect outranks the argument over your own terms.
When to use it
- Nurses who push for better pay through negotiation and public pressure while never abandoning the ward mid-shift.
- Air traffic controllers who file complaints and lobby lawmakers rather than walk out and strand flights full of families.
- A volunteer firefighter who lobbies the town for a bigger budget but never skips a call to make the point.