Indira Gandhi was the first woman Prime Minister of India. She first took the office in 1966 after the sudden demise of the then Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri. Gandhi served as country's PM for three terms. She remains the second longest serving Prime Minister, for a tenure spreading over 15 years. Gandhi joined the politics in 1955 as a member of a working committee and was elected as the Congress Party president in 1959. She was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1964 and became the Minister of Information and Broadcasting in the Shastri Government. APJ Abdul Kalam 89th Birth Anniversary: Top 9 Inspiring Quotes of India's 'Missile Man' to Mark World Students Day.

She is widely regarded as one of the most important figures in the Indian politics and her contribution in shaping India as well as the Congress party as we know today. Gandhi is known to her staunch stances on a variety of issues, specially her decision to extend military support to the then East Pakistan in the 1971 war which lead to the formation of Bangladesh. Manmohan Singh Birthday 2020: Inspiring Quotes by Former Prime Minister As the Great Economist as He Turns 88.

Here are some powerful quotes by Indira Gandhi:

Quotes by Indira Gandhi
Quotes by Indira Gandhi| (Photo Credits: File Image)

Quote Reads: "You can't shake hands with a clenched fist."- Indira Gandhi

Quotes by Indira Gandhi| (Photo Credits: File Image)
Quotes by Indira Gandhi| (Photo Credits: File Image)

Quote Reads: "Winning or losing of the election is less important than strengthening the country."- Indira Gandhi

Quotes by Indira Gandhi| (Picture Credits: File Image)
Quotes by Indira Gandhi| (Picture Credits: File Image)
Quote Reads: "Have a bias toward action - let's see something happen now. You can break that big plan into small steps and take the first step right away." - Indira Gandhi

Quotes by Indira Gandhi
Quotes by Indira Gandhi| (Photo Credits: File Image)

Quote Reads: "I am not a person to be pressured - by anybody or any nation." - Indira Gandhi

Quotes by Indira Gandhi
Quotes by Indira Gandhi| (Photo Credits: File Image)

Quote Reads: "All the people who fought for freedom were my heroes. I mean, that was the sort of story I liked reading freedom struggles and so on." - Indira Gandhi
Quotes by Indira Gandhi
Quotes by Indira Gandhi| (Photo Credits: File Image)

Quote Reads: "This is why we feel that democracy's important: because democracy allows you to have small explosions and therefore avoid the bigger explosions." - Indira Gandhi

Quotes by Indira Gandhi
Quotes by Indira Gandhi| (Photo Credits: File Image)

Quote Reads: "The power to question is the basis of all human progress."- Indira Gandhi

Quotes by Indira Gandhi
Quotes by Indira Gandhi| (Photo Credits: File Image)

Quote Reads: "Martyrdom does not end something, it only a beginning."- Indira Gandhi

Quotes by Indira Gandhi
Quotes by Indira Gandhi|(Photo Credits: File Image)

Quote Reads: "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."- Indira Gandhi

Quotes by Indira Gandhi
Quotes by Indira Gandhi|(Photo Credits: File Image)

Quote Reads: "Even if I died in the service of the nation, I would be proud of it. Every drop of my blood will contribute to the growth of this nation and to make it strong and dynamic." - Indira Gandhi

Indira Gandhi was assassinated on October 31, 1984 at her residence in New Delhi, by her bodyguards who were seeking revenge for the Operation Blue Star. Her untimely demise left the country in a shock. However, her influence on Indian politics is always felt and remembered.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 31, 2020 07:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).