Self Governance Quotes

In the history of mankind many republics have risen, have flourished for a less or greater time, and then have fallen because their citizens lost the power of governing themselves and thereby of governing their state; and in no way has this loss of power been so often and so clearly shown as in the tendency to turn the government into a government primarily for the benefit of one class instead of a government for the benefit of the people as a whole.

What astonishing changes a few years are capable of producing! I am told that even respectable characters speak of a monarchical form of government without horror. From thinking proceeds speaking, thence to acting is often but a single step. But how irrevocable and tremendous! What a triumph for the advocates of despotism to find that we are incapable of governing ourselves, and that systems founded on the basis of equal liberty are merely ideal and falacious! Would to God that wise measures may be taken in time to avert the consequences we have but too much reason to apprehend.

Just what is it that America stands for? If she stands for one thing more than another it is for the sovereignty of self-governing people.

A Swaraj government means a government established by the free joint will of Hindus, Mussalmans and others.

There can be no Swaraj where there is no harmony, no music.

It is the absolute right of India to misgovern herself.

Which government is the best? The one that teaches us to govern ourselves.

Mankind, when left to themselves, are unfit for their own government.

A government of our own is our natural right

I am not so much concerned with the right of everyone to say anything he pleases as I am about our need as a self-governing people to hear everything relevant.

It is Swaraj when we learn to rule ourselves.

I often feel like saying, when I hear the question 'People aren't ready,' that it's like telling a person who is trying to swim, 'Don't jump in that water until you learn how to swim.' When actually you will never learn how to swim until you get in the water. And I think people have to have an opportunity to develop themselves and govern themselves.

Though, when a people shall have become incapable of governing themselves and fit for a master, it is of little consequence from what quarter he comes.

If no one among us is capable of governing himself, then who among us has the capcity to govern someone else.

We're not a fragile people. We're not a frightful people. Our power doesn't come from some self-declared savior promising that he alone can restore order as long as we do things his way. We don't look to be ruled.

What a triumph for the advocates of despotism to find that we are incapable of governing ourselves, and that systems founded on the basis of equal liberty are merely ideal and fallacious.

That government is best which governs the least, because its people discipline themselves.

The rights of the people to the exercise and fruits of their own industry can never be protected against the selfishness of rulers not subject to their control at short periods.

I want for India complete independence in the full English sense of that English term.

Men can never escape being governed. Either they must govern themselves or they must submit to being governed by others.

What government is the best? That which teaches us to govern ourselves.[Ger., Welche Regierung die beste sei? Diejenige die uns lehrt uns selbst zu regieren.]

The highest manifestation of life consists in this: that a being governs its own actions. A thing which is always subject to the direction of another is somewhat of a dead thing.

From a political point of view, there is but one principle, the sovereignty of man over himself. This sovereignty of myself over myself is called Liberty

A government of our own is our natural right; and when a man seriously reflects on the precariousness of human affairs, he will become convinced, that it is infinitely wiser and safer, to form a constitution of our own in a cool deliberate manner, while we have it in our power, than to trust such an interesting event to time and chance.

To bring the matter to one point, Is the power who is jealous of our prosperity, a proper power to govern us? Whoever says, No, to this question, is an independent, for independency means no more than this, whether we shall make our own law, or, whether the king, the greatest enemy which this continent hath, or can have, shall tell us there shall be no laws but such as I like.

Swaraj means even under dominion status a capacity to declare independence at will.

I want India to come into her own and that state cannot be better defined by any single word than Swaraj.