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Mr.Morarji Desai was the 4th prime minnister of India (1977-1979)

sai reddy
Jul 26, 2017
4 min read

Morarji Desai (29 February 1896 – 10 April 1995) - He was an Indian independence activist and served as Prime minister of India for 2 years, 126 days (24 March1977 to 28 July1979), He was the first Non congress Prime minister of India. He was from Janata party.

He was elected as Member of parliment from Surat, Gujarat.He held many important posts in government such as: Chief Minister of Bombay State, Home Minister, Finance Minister and 2nd Deputy Prime Minister of India. On the international scene, Desai holds international fame for his peace activism and made efforts to initiate peace between two rival South Asian states, Pakistan and India. After India's first nuclear explosion in 1974, Desai helped restore friendly relations with China and Pakistan, and vowed to avoid armed conflict such as Indo-Pakistani war of 1971. He was also accused of scaling down the Indian covert operations agency, the R&AW.(Research and Analysis Wing)

The popular anti-corruption movement led by Jayaprakash Narayan and the anti-Emergency wave in 1977 led to the complete routing of the Congress party in Northern India, and a landslide victory for the opposition Janata alliance in the National elections held in March 1977. Morarji Desai was selected by the Janata alliance, later Janata Party as their parliamentary leader, and thus became the first non-Congress Prime Minister of India.

PERSONAL BACKGROUND

Morarji Desai was born at Bhadeli village, Bulsar district in the Bombay Presidency (now in Gujarat) on 29 February 1896, the oldest of eight children. His father was a school teacher.Desai underwent his primary schooling in Saurashtra The Kundla School, Savarkundla now called J.V. Modi school and later joined Bai Ava Bai High School, Valsad. After graduating from Wilson College, Mumbai, he joined the civil service in Gujarat. Desai resigned as deputy collector of Godhra in May 1930 after being found guilty of going soft on Hindus during the riots of 1927-28 there.

Desai then joined the freedom struggle under Mahatma Gandhi and joined the civil disobedience movement against British rule in India. He spent many years in jail during the freedom struggle and owing to his sharp leadership skills and tough spirit, he became a favourite amongst freedom-fighters and an important leader of the Indian National Congress in the Gujarat region. When provincial elections were held in 1934 and 1937, Desai was elected and served as the Revenue Minister and Home Minister of the Bombay Presidency.

FAMILY BACKGROUND

Morarji Desai married Gujraben in 1911, at the age of 15. Gujraben lived to see her husband becoming Prime Minister, but she predeceased him. He is survived by his son Kanti Desai, and grandsons Jagdeep and Bharat Desai. Madhukeshwar Desai, one of his great-grandsons, son of Jagdeep Desai, took it upon himself to revive the legacy of his illustrious great grandfather. Madhukeshwar Desai is currently the National Vice-President of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, the youth wing of the BJP.Vishaal Desai, son of Bharat Desai, is a writer and filmmaker

Father-Ranchhodji Desai

Mother-Vajiaben Desai Spouse-Gujraben Desai

Son -Kanti Desai

POLITICAL CAREER

In October 1941 Shri Desai was detained in the individual Satyagraha launched by Mahatma Gandhi,
He was detained again in August 1942 at the time of the Quit India Movement.
He was released in 1945
In 1946 after the elections to the State Assemblies, he became the Minister for Home and Revenue in Bombay.
In 1952, he became the Chief Minister of Bombay.
In November 14, 1956 after the reorganisation of the States, Shri Desai joined the Union Cabinet as Minister for Commerce and Industry
In March 22, 1958 he became the Finance Minister
.In 1963, he resigned from the Union Cabinet under the Kamraj Plan. Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri , who succeeded Pt. Nehru as Prime Minister , persuaded him to become Chairman of the Administrative Reforms Commission for restructuring the administrative system.
In 1967, Shri Desai joined Smt. Indira Gandhi’s cabinet as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister in charge of Finance.
In July, 1969, Smt. Gandhi took away the Finance portfolio from him. While Shri Desai conceded that the Prime Minister has the prerogative to change the portfolios of colleagues, he felt that his self-respect had been hurt as even the common courtesy of consulting him had not shown by Smt.Indira Gandhi. He, therefore, felt he had no alternative but to resign as Deputy Prime Minister of India.
In 1969 When the Congress Party split, Shri Desai remained with the Organisation Congress. He continued to take a leading part the opposition.
In 1971 He was re-elected to Parliament.
In 1975, he went on an indefinite fast on the question of holding elections to the Gujarat Assembly which had been dissolved. As a result of his fast, elections were held in June, 1975.
In June 26, 1975 Shri Desai was arrested and detained, when Emergency was declared. He was kept in solitary confinement
In January 18, 1977 he was released.
In March, 1977 General Elections held for the Sixth Lok Sabha. Shri Desai was himself selected to the Lok Sabha from the Surat Constituency in Gujarat.
On March 24, 1977, He was later unanimously elected as Leader of the Janata Party in Parliament and was sworn in as the Prime Minister of India