--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had recently had the impression they…" description: "\"I had recently had the impression they were changing - not so much by becoming less pro-Pakistan as by becoming less anti-India. I was wrong. My visit ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/787/indira-gandhi-1113_avert_i-had-recently-had-the-impression-they-w_1016304.jpg" --- # I had recently had the impression they were changing - not… ![“I had recently had the impression they were changing - not so much by becoming less pro-Pakistan as by becoming less anti-India. I was wrong. My visit to [Richard] Nixon did anything but avert the war.” quote by Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/787/indira-gandhi-1113_avert_i-had-recently-had-the-impression-they-w_1016304.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/787/indira-gandhi-1113_avert_i-had-recently-had-the-impression-they-w_1016304.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/787/indira-gandhi-1113_avert_i-had-recently-had-the-impression-they-w_1016304.jpg) > “I had recently had the impression they were changing - not so much by becoming less pro-Pakistan as by becoming less anti-India. I was wrong. My visit to \[Richard\] Nixon did anything but avert the war.” [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Observes shifting political attitudes toward India, but notes personal diplomatic efforts failed to prevent war. **In simple terms:** Changing attitudes, war still occurred. Key Takeaway Recognize limits of diplomacy. Themes politics war diplomacy nationalism Mood cautious reflective Type historical analytical When to use this quote - foreign policy - regional security - public opinion - historical analysis Key Concepts Geopolitics conflict resolution Questions to Reflect On - What factors outweigh diplomatic influence? - How can leaders better anticipate geopolitical shifts? A Different Perspective Diplomacy alone may not stop conflict. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [India](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/india/) [Pakistan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pakistan/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [We couldn't keep ten million refugees on our soil; we couldn't tolerate such an unstable situation for who knows how long. 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/i-abhor-unjust-war-i-abhor-injustice-and-bullying-by-the-strong-at/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [If you criticise a government policy, you are not anti-India.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shatrughan-sinha/if-you-criticise-a-government-policy-you-are-not-anti-india/) [Shatrughan Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shatrughan-sinha/) > [The great body of our citizens shoot less as times goes on. We should encourage rifle practice among schoolboys, and indeed among all classes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/the-great-body-of-our-citizens-shoot-less-as-times-goes-on-we-should/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [“Under the influence of politicians, masses of people tend to ascribe the responsibility for wars to those who wield power at any given time.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-reich/under-the-influence-of-politicians-masses-of-people-tend-to-ascribe/) [Wilhelm Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-reich/) > [I remember harrowing episodes. People who emigrated, people who didn't want to emigrate...Many Muslims didn't want to leave India to go to live in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/i-remember-harrowing-episodes-people-who-emigrated-people-who-didn-t/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [Do you know why I won the last elections? It was because the people liked me, yes, because I had worked, yes, but also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/do-you-know-why-i-won-the-last-elections-it-was-because-the-people/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [In India you don't find propaganda against Pakistan. During the war there was a little of it, naturally, but even during the war we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/in-india-you-don-t-find-propaganda-against-pakistan-during-the-war/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [The Western press has always insisted that India was Pakistan's enemy and vice versa, that the Hindus were against the Muslims and vice versa.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/the-western-press-has-always-insisted-that-india-was-pakistan-s-enemy/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [ I suspected \[Richard Nixon\] was very pro-Pakistan. Or rather I knew that the Americans had always been in favor of Pakistan - not so… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/i-suspected-richard-nixon-was-very-pro-pakistan-or-rather-i-knew-that/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [You don't help a country by supporting a military regime that denies any sign of democracy, and what defeated Pakistan was its military regime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/you-don-t-help-a-country-by-supporting-a-military-regime-that-denies/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [Our courage is greater to dare a visible than an imagined danger. A visible danger rouses our energies to meet or avert it; a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-nestell-bovee/our-courage-is-greater-to-dare-a-visible-than-an-imagined-danger-a/) [Christian Nestell Bovee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-nestell-bovee/) > [This is the message of your life and my life - it’s that nothing lasts. Heraclitus said it: Panta Rhei. All flows, nothing lasts.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/this-is-the-message-of-your-life-and-my-life-it-s-that-nothing-lasts/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) ## More by Indira Gandhi > [I don't see why we and the Chinese should have to be enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/i-don-t-see-why-we-and-the-chinese-should-have-to-be-enemies/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [Politics...You see, it depends on what kind of politics. What we did during my father's generation was a duty. And it was beautiful because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/politics-you-see-it-depends-on-what-kind-of-politics-what-we-did/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [I'm not ambitious. Not a bit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/i-m-not-ambitious-not-a-bit/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [In all societies that have applied a form of socialism, a certain degree of social economic equality has been achieved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/in-all-societies-that-have-applied-a-form-of-socialism-a-certain/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [I cannot understand how anyone can be an Indian and not be proud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/i-cannot-understand-how-anyone-can-be-an-indian-and-not-be-proud/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [Even today to be civilised is held to be synonymous with being westernised. Advanced countries devote large resources to formulating and spreading ideas and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/even-today-to-be-civilised-is-held-to-be-synonymous-with-being/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [To me the function of politics is to make possible the desirable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/to-me-the-function-of-politics-is-to-make-possible-the-desirable/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [To become capable, one must have faith in oneself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/to-become-capable-one-must-have-faith-in-oneself/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [If we offer something to Bangladesh, it's obvious that Bangladesh is offering something to us. And why shouldn't Bangladesh be able to keep its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/if-we-offer-something-to-bangladesh-it-s-obvious-that-bangladesh-is/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [The India I want, I'll never tire of repeating, is a more just and less poor India, one entirely free of foreign influences. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/the-india-i-want-i-ll-never-tire-of-repeating-is-a-more-just-and-less/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [Satisfied is a word I use only in reference to my country, and I'll never be satisfied for my country. For this reasons I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/satisfied-is-a-word-i-use-only-in-reference-to-my-country-and-i-ll/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [I always wanted to have children - if it had been up to me, I would have had eleven. It was my husband who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/i-always-wanted-to-have-children-if-it-had-been-up-to-me-i-would-have/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [Defeats are always pitiful. Victories are always last resources.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/defeats-are-always-pitiful-victories-are-always-last-resources/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [To be liberated, woman must feel free to be herself, not in rivalry to man but in the context of her own capacity and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/to-be-liberated-woman-must-feel-free-to-be-herself-not-in-rivalry-to/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [We do not wish to impoverish the environment any further, and yet we cannot for a moment forget the grim poverty of large numbers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/we-do-not-wish-to-impoverish-the-environment-any-further-and-yet-we/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) [Explore all 290 Indira Gandhi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) ## More Avert quotes > [This is the message of your life and my life - it’s that nothing lasts. 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At no other time in history has there been such mass disillusionment in terms of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/we-live-in-a-very-special-time-right-now-at-no-other-time-in-history/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [Sex cannot be understood because nature cannot be understood. Science is a method of logical analysis of nature's operations. It has lessened human anxiety…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille/sex-cannot-be-understood-because-nature-cannot-be-understood-science/) [Camille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille/) > [We cannot avert our eyes without staining our souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-kucinich/we-cannot-avert-our-eyes-without-staining-our-souls/) [Dennis Kucinich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-kucinich/) > [Every once in a while I feel despair over the fate of the planet. If you've been following climate science, you know what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/every-once-in-a-while-i-feel-despair-over-the-fate-of-the-planet-if/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [In time of trouble avert not thy face from hope, for the soft marrow abideth in the hard bone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hafez/in-time-of-trouble-avert-not-thy-face-from-hope-for-the-soft-marrow/) [Hafez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hafez/) > [Unless we establish some form of world government, it will not be possible for us to avert a World War III in the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/unless-we-establish-some-form-of-world-government-it-will-not-be/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [All of us in this country give lip service to the ideals set forth in the Bill of Rights and emphasized by every additional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/all-of-us-in-this-country-give-lip-service-to-the-ideals-set-forth-in/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) Browse all 67 Avert quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I had recently had the impression they were changing - not so much by becoming less pro-Pakistan as by becoming less anti-India. 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