Morarji Desai
A Gandhian ascetic who broke the Congress Party's hold to become India's first non-Congress Prime Minister, championing austerity and moral politics.
1896–1995 (age 99)·Prime Minister of India from 1977 to 1979·Birthday: February 29·The Lost Generation
Biography
Morarji Desai's political life was a study in stubborn principle, shaped by his early immersion in India's independence struggle under Mahatma Gandhi. A civil servant turned satyagrahi, he endured long prison terms and emerged as a staunch administrator in Bombay, known for his prohibitionist policies and spartan lifestyle. His unwavering belief in Gandhian economics and personal integrity often put him at odds with the political mainstream, particularly Indira Gandhi. After the Emergency, he became the unifying figurehead for the disparate opposition, and at 81, he ascended to the prime ministership, leading India's first government not formed by the Indian National Congress. His tenure, though short-lived, was marked by an attempt to restore civil liberties and a foreign policy shift that included easing tensions with Pakistan and China.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Morarji was born in 1896, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Morarji Was Born
The biggest hits of 1896
Morarji's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1896Born
First modern Olympic Games held in Athens
President: Grover Cleveland
1901Started school
Queen Victoria dies, ending the Victorian era
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1909Became a teenager
Robert Peary claims to reach the North Pole
President: William Howard Taft
1912Could drive
Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage
President: William Howard Taft
1914Could vote
World War I begins
President: Woodrow Wilson
1917Turned 21
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1926Turned 30
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1936Turned 40
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1946Turned 50
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1956Turned 60
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1966Turned 70
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1976Turned 80
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1995Died at 99
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
Key Achievements
- Served as the 4th Prime Minister of India from 1977 to 1979, leading the first non-Congress government in the country's history.
- Held the pivotal portfolio of Finance Minister for six years, during which he presented a record number of budgets.
- Awarded Pakistan's highest civilian award, the Nishan-e-Pakistan, in 1990 for his efforts to improve India-Pakistan relations.
- Was a key leader in the Janata Party coalition that defeated Indira Gandhi's Congress after the period of Emergency rule.
Did You Know?
He was a strict practitioner of urine therapy, believing in its health benefits, and publicly advocated for it.
He was a lifelong teetotaler and vegetarian, adhering to his Gandhian principles.
At 81, he was the oldest person to become Prime Minister of India.
He reportedly only took a one-rupee salary as Prime Minister, donating the rest to charity.
“Life at any time can become difficult; life at any time can become easy. It all depends upon how one adjusts oneself to life.”
