Desai, Morarji (1896-1995), was India’s prime minister from 1977 to 1979. Desai was born on Feb. 29, 1896, in Bhadeli, a village near Surat in Gujarat. His father was a village teacher. He was educated locally and in Bombay (now Mumbai). After an early career as a government official, he played a significant part in India’s independence struggle. He was appointed minister of commerce and industry, and later, minister of finance in the cabinet of Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister.
In 1966, Desai unsuccessfully challenged Indira Gandhi for the post of prime minister. In 1967, as part of a compromise, he was appointed deputy prime minister. Two years later, he resigned from the government after differences with Indira Gandhi. These differences widened, and during the state of emergency from 1975 to 1977, Desai was imprisoned.
After the opposition’s victory in the 1977 elections, Desai became prime minister and leader of the Janata Party. When his government collapsed in 1979, Desai retired. He died on April 10, 1995, in Bombay.
See also Singh, Charan.
