Jairam Ramesh Quotes

I want to tell you ladies and gentlemen, the actions that we took were not always easy. The actions that we took were not always popular. But when you get yourself in public office, you must lead, you must do what's necessary.

We need an honest politician in charge who doesn't care whether they are re-elected and is prepared to make the unpopular decisions.

I am not concerned about getting reelected. I can make the unpopular but necessary decision. Your focus from day one is on your legacy rather than political considerations.

If I finish my term in office … and have high approval ratings, then I wasted my last years in office. That high approval rating means you don’t upset anybody. High approval rating means you’re skiing down the slope and you never fall. Well, you’re skiing the baby slope, for goodness’ sakes. Go to a steeper slope. You always want to press, and you want to tackle the issues that are unpopular, that nobody else will go after.

You've got to make tough decisions, sometimes unpopular decisions... Whatever it is, if it's the right move at the right time, you've got to be also willing to make mistakes.

We've got to stop pandering and start leading.

The important thing is that we recognize our President's leadership, that he is not saying: I am going to walk away from this. He is saying: I am going to do the right thing.

I think people respect governments that take decisions and act decisively.

I've never worried about payback. People are hungry for leadership that's not afraid of political consequence.

Presidents with strong nerves are decisive. They don't balk at unpopular decisions. They are willing to make people angry. Bush had strong nerves. Clinton, who passed up a chance to eliminate Osama bin Laden, did not. Obama is a people pleaser, a trait not normally associated with nerves of steel.

I understand everybody in this country doesn't agree with the decisions I've made. And I made some tough decisions. But people know where I stand.

Forget the consultants, the pundits and the pollsters; good policy is good politics.

Leaders respond when they perceive that there will be a political cost of inaction.

I had learned from LBJ that courage is as important as tenacity if you are to get anything done in government.

It's one thing to make the speeches. It's another to make the tough decisions.

It is impossible for a Minister to please the many without displeasing the few

Politicians are strong to the extent that they are ready to take serious decisions and fight for it.

When it comes to making tough decisions, I'm ready to make them.

It's hard to be a leader when you have to make hard choices and when you have to do what's right, even though people are not going to like you for it.

You see, Mr. President - real leaders don't follow polls. Real leaders change polls.

Good ideas are the backbone of good government.

Divorced from ethics, leadership is reduced to management and politics to mere technique.

A leader does not deserve the name unless he is willing occasionally to stand alone.

Blessed are the people whose leaders can look destiny in the eye without flinching but also without attempting to play God.

Even if there's controversy, I'm going to make the decision, and people are going to be happy in one instance and unhappy in the next. But that's the job I've been given and the job I'm going to embrace.