“To safeguard democracy the people must have a keen sense of independence, self-respect and their oneness, and should insist upon choosing as their representatives only such persons as are good and true.”
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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: Attributed to Gandhi on reputable Gandhi references (Mani Bhavan, mkgandhi.org 'D' epigrams), likely from a Harijan-era writing on democracy; no dated primary citation confirmed in this review.
About this quote
Freedom isn't kept safe by paperwork and institutions alone; it survives only when ordinary people stay alert, respect themselves enough to demand honest leaders, and hold together instead of splintering. Slack citizenship invites the very abuses a constitution is meant to prevent.
When to use it
- Voters who vet candidates' records, not just slogans, quietly raise the bar for who runs.
- A neighborhood that shows up to council meetings keeps its officials honest year-round.
- Union members who insist on integrity from their own reps avoid being sold out later.