First non-Congress PM

He was never one for grand gestures. Nor did he rely on charisma to command attention. Morarji Ranchhodji Desai led with integrity and the nation followed out of genuine respect. Here was a man who walked away from the comforts of a prestigious post to join the freedom movement, who chose principle over position when he resigned from Indira Gandhi’s Cabinet and who, at 81, rewrote political history by becoming India’s first non-Congress Prime Minister. No political spectacle, no populist flair—just quiet strength, conviction and an incorruptible spine.

Born on February 29, 1896, at Bhadeli village (now in Gujarat’s Bulsar district), Desai lived until almost hundred. Raised by a schoolmaster father, his childhood was steeped in values that would later become the foundation of his political life: honesty, self-discipline and a deep sense of duty.

After completing his education at St Busar High School and later graduating from the Wilson Civil Service in Bombay Province in 1918, Desai began his professional life as a Deputy Collector. For 12 years, he served the British administration with diligence—until the cries of a nation demanding freedom grew too loud to ignore.

In 1930, gripped by the call of Mahatma Gandhi’s movement and disheartened by the injustices of colonial rule, Desai resigned from his government post. The decision wasn’t easy—it meant stepping into uncertainty, putting family second and placing the country’s independence first. He would go on to be jailed three times, trading the desk of a collector for the cold floors of prison cells.

Post-Independence, Desai emerged as a key figure in Indian politics. As chief minister of Bombay State from 1952 to 1956, he was known for his administrative acumen and unblemished public conduct. When he joined Nehru’s Cabinet, his portfolio shifted between Commerce and Finance. But it was during his stint as Finance Minister under Indira Gandhi in 1967 that fault lines began to show.

In 1969, when she abruptly divested him of Finance portfolio, Desai saw it not just as a political insult but a personal breach of dignity. He resigned, setting the stage for a split within the Congress. He joined the faction known as Congress (Organisation), which stood in stark contrast to Gandhi’s populist policies. Desai’s side was mockingly called the “Syndicate”; Gandhi’s side, the “Indicate.” But political nicknames didn’t shake his resolve.

A man of austere habits, Desai once said, “No one, not even the Prime Minister, should be above the law.” He meant it. When the Emergency of 1975 darkened Indian democracy, Desai, then in the Opposition, stood tall. And when people voted the Congress out in 1977, it was Desai—aged 81—who became India’s first non-Congress Prime Minister.

He came to power on March 24, 1977, promising not just governance but moral correction. He spoke of ending poverty, banning alcohol and making fearless citizens out of a fearful populace. True to his Gandhian beliefs, he took significant steps toward prohibition in 1978. He also rolled back authoritarian powers by enacting the 44th Constitutional Amendment, which tightened the rules on declaring national emergencies.

On the global stage, Desai extended peace overtures to Pakistan and sought a reset with China while resisting pressure from the US to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. He famously declined an offer of nuclear fuel from the Carter administration because it came with surveillance strings attached. India, he insisted, would not be dictated to—especially by nuclear powers sitting on stockpiles themselves.

But the idealism that had carried him so far began to wobble under the weight of coalition politics. Fissures within the Janata Party widened, defections multiplied and Desai—never one to cling to power—resigned on July 15, 1979, before a no-confidence vote could push him out. Even in retirement, he didn’t fade away. In 1980, he campaigned for the Janata Party but did not contest. In 1990, Pakistan awarded him its highest civilian honour, the Nishan-e-Pakistan, for his efforts in promoting peace. A year later, India gave him the Bharat Ratna.

On his 99th birthday, Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao visited him, marking the nation’s continued admiration. Soon after, Desai’s health began to decline. He was admitted to a hospital in Mumbai with a chest infection and low blood pressure. Despite medical intervention, he passed away on April 10, 1995, at the age of 99—bringing to a close a life that had witnessed, shaped and stood firm through nearly a century of India’s political evolution.

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