Lal Bahadur Shastri: 8 times former PM spoke about democracy and freedom

"Among the major tasks before us none is of greater importance for our strength and stability than the task of building up the unity and solidarity of our people." (Photo: File Photo)

"True democracy or the swaraj of the masses can never come through untruthful and violent means." (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

"The preservation of freedom, is not the task of soldiers alone. The whole nation has to be strong." (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

"The rule of law should be respected so that the basic structure of our democracy is maintained and further strengthened." (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

"We want freedom for our country, but not at the expense or exploitation of others, not us to degrade other countries...I want the freedom of my country so that other countries may learn something from my free country so that the resources of my country might be utilized for the benefit of mankind." (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

"There comes a time in the life of every nation when it stands at the cross-roads of history and must choose which way to go. But for us there need be no difficulty or hesitation, no looking to right or left. Our way is straight and clear—the building up of a socialist democracy at home with freedom and prosperity for all, and the maintenance of world peace and friendship with all nations." (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

"The basic idea of governance, as I see it, is to hold the society together so that it can develop and march towards certain goals." (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

"Those who govern must see how the people react to administration. Ultimately, the people are the final arbiters." (Photo: File Photo)