43 Facts About Morarji Desai

Morarji Ranchhodji Desai was an Indian independence activist and politician who served as the 4th Prime Minister of India between 1977 and 1979 leading the government formed by the Janata Party.

Morarji Desai was appointed as Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister in Indira Gandhi's cabinet, until 1969.

Morarji Desai was elected Prime Minister, and became the first non-Congress Prime Minister of India.

Morarji Desai was honoured with the highest civilian award of Pakistan, the Nishan-e-Pakistan on 19 May 1990.

Morarji Desai is the oldest person to hold the office of prime minister, at the age of 81, in the history of Indian politics.

Morarji Desai subsequently retired from all political posts, but continued to campaign for the Janata Party in 1980.

Morarji Desai was conferred with India's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna.

Morarji Desai was born into a Gujarati Anavil Brahmin family.

Morarji Desai was born in Bhadeli village, Bulsar district, Bombay Presidency, British India on 29 February 1896, the eldest of eight children.

Morarji Desai then joined the freedom struggle under Mahatma Gandhi and joined the civil disobedience movement against British rule in India.

Morarji Desai 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, Morarji Desai was elected and served as the Revenue Minister and Home Minister of the Bombay Presidency.

Morarji Desai was opposed to such movements, including the Mahagujarat Movement led by Indulal Yagnik demanding a new state of Gujarat.

Morarji Desai proposed that the metropolitan Mumbai be made a Union territory.

Morarji Desai's logic was that a separate development region would suit the city's cosmopolitan nature, with citizens from diverse settings across various linguistic, cultural, and religious backgrounds living there for generations.

The movement led to violence across the city and state, and Morarji Desai ordered the police to open fire on the Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti demonstrators who had gathered at Flora Fountain.

Later Morarji Desai moved to Delhi when he was inducted as finance Minister in the cabinet of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

Morarji Desai was socially conservative, pro-business, and in favour of free enterprise reforms, as opposed to Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's socialistic policies.

In 1964 after prime minister's Nehru's death, Morarji Desai was outflanked in the leadership contest by the Nehru's protege, Lal Bahadur Shastri.

Morarji Desai was invited but did not join the short lived Shastri cabinet.

Morarji Desai served as Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister of India in the Indira Gandhi government until July 1969 when Prime Minister Gandhi took the finance portfolio from him but asked him to serve as the deputy prime minister.

However, to save his self-respect, Morarji Desai tendered his resignation from the Gandhi cabinet.

Morarji Desai was elected as a member of the Lok Sabha or lower house of Parliament.

Morarji Desai went on indefinite hunger strike on 12 March 1975 to support Nav Nirman movement of Gujarat.

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.

Morarji Desai restored normal relations with China, for the first time since the 1962 war.

Morarji Desai communicated with the military ruler of Pakistan, General Zia-ul-Haq and established friendly relations.

Domestically, Morarji Desai played a crucial role in the Indian nuclear program after it was targeted by major nuclear powers after India conducted a surprise nuclear test in 1974.

Morarji Desai kept India's nuclear reactors stating "they will never be used for atomic bombs, and I will see to it if I can help it".

Morarji Desai declined, seeing the American stance as contradictory, in light of its own nuclear arsenal.

Morarji Desai closed down much of the agency, and reduced its budget and operations, such as closing its Information Division.

In 1979, Raj Narain and Charan Singh pulled out of the Janata Party, forcing Morarji Desai to resign from office and retire from politics.

Morarji Desai campaigned for the Janata Party in 1980 General Election as a senior politician but did not contest the election himself.

When former French Prime Minister Antoine Pinay died on 13 December 1994, Morarji Desai became the world's oldest living former head of government.

Morarji Desai was much honoured in his last years as a freedom-fighter of his generation.

Morarji Desai was treated in a hospital in Mumbai due to low blood pressure and a chest infection.

Morarji Desai died on 10 April 1995, aged 99, after he underwent surgery for a blood clot in his brain.

Morarji Desai was a Gandhian follower, social worker, institution builder and a great reformer.

Morarji Desai lived simply and used to write post cards himself even when he held the office of Prime Minister.

Morarji Desai died on 25 October 1981 at the age of 81.

Morarji Desai's three surviving children were: his daughters Virumati, Indu and his son Kantilal.

Virumati, who was married to Ramanlal Morarji Desai, died in early 2000s.

Kantilal Morarji Desai, who was married to Padma Kirloskar, died in 2014.