Moraji Desai

Why is in news? PM pays tributes to former Prime Minister, Shri Morarjibhai Desai

Morarji Desai was born on 29th February, 1896 in Bhadeli village, now in the Bulsar district of Gujarat.

He was the 4th Prime Minister (1977-79) and the first non-Congress Prime Minister of India.

After graduating in 1918 from the Wilson Civil Service in Bombay, he served as a Deputy Collector for twelve years.

In 1930, when India was in the midst of the Civil Disobedience Movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi, Desai, having lost his confidence in the British sense of justice, decided to resign from Government service and to plunge into the struggle.

Desai was imprisoned thrice during the freedom struggle. He became a Member of the All India Congress Committee in 1931 and was Secretary of the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee until 1937.

He was detained in the individual Satyagraha launched by Mahatma Gandhi, released in October, 1941 and detained again in August, 1942 at the time of the Quit India Movement.

In 1952, he became the Chief Minister of Bombay.

Desai was arrested and detained on 26th June, 1975, when Emergency was declared. He went on an indefinite hunger strike to support the Nav Nirman movement of Gujarat.

Nav Nirman Andolan was a socio-political movement in 1974 in Gujarat by students and middle-class people against economic crisis and corruption in public life.

He was later unanimously elected as Leader of the Janata Party in Parliament and was sworn in as the Prime Minister of India on 24th March, 1977.

He was also known for his peace activism, especially in initiating peace efforts with Pakistan, and helping restore friendly relations with China after India’s first nuclear test in 1974.