THE QUALITIES OF AN EXCEPTIONAL PRIME MINISTER
Whenever the name of Morarji Desai is taken, I am reminded of a very inspiring incident which I would like to share. Even though Mr. Desai lived mostly in Mumbai, every year either in February or March, he would spend a few days with his grandson in Valsad. From 1983 to 1985, I was posted in Valsad and at that time, Mr. Desai had completed his tenure as the Prime Minister of India. I was around 24-25 years of age at the time, but I had a great desire to meet a personality as Mr. Desai, who was not just the former Prime Minister of the country but had also been a renowned freedom fighter, as well as the former Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of the country. I held much respect for Mr. Desai on account of his reputation as a man of principles and when it came to understanding the qualities that could lead a man to greater success in life, I always looked to Mr. Desai as an inspiration.
Sometime in February or March of 1984 or 1985 (I cannot recall the exact year), I had the opportunity to meet with Mr. Morarji Desai when he came to reside in Valsad. Upon meeting him, I asked him a few questions that had been on my mind. For my first question, I asked him about the most memorable incident from his tenure as the Prime Minister. Morarji Desai then told me about an incident when he was travelling to a place on official business and the plane was involved in an accident. The pilot of the plane sacrificed his life in attempting to save Mr. Desai and it left a lasting impression on him, making it an unforgettable incident.
Further I asked Mr. Desai if he could foresee any possibilities of progress in the country, given that we were beset with such problems of corruption, poverty, unemployment among others, along with a moral degradation of society. He responded by saying that India is a great country with a great culture and we also have a great heritage. We should never forget that we have only just emerged from the shackles of over 500 years of slavery and in comparison to this, 40-50 years of independence are not a significant period of time to expect massive change. I could gauge from his words that he had a vision about India making great progress in the future and he was quite complacent about the same. I began to feel that perhaps in his answer lay the glimpses of the qualities that led him to the exalted position of the Prime Minister of India. An individual who was clear in his vision and was so dedicated to achieving his goal was sure to achieve success in life.
However, there remained some more facets which were yet to be uncovered. In the midst of our conversation, I asked him that I had heard that he used to serve in the Indian Civil Services (ICS) but had quit his job there. Mr. Desai interrupted me here and clarified that he was not in the ICS but in the Provincial Civil Services (PCS) and during his tenure there, he had gotten into a rift with some senior officials who were making wrong allegations against him. He decided to face the allegations, and once it was proved that he had done no wrong, he handed in his resignation and decided to join Mahatma Gandhi’s freedom struggle.
Related to this incident, Mr. Morarji Desai shared another anecdote which left a deep impression on me and became an inspiration. Talking about his selection in the PCS, he said that back then, there was no written examination for the selections and the British officials depended upon interviews alone to take the final decision. When Mr. Desai reached the designated place for his interview, he was asked by the British official, “We are sorry Mr. Desai, but we had only one vacancy and we have already filled it up. So what will you do now?” To this, he replied, “I am young and full of energy, and the world is so large. I will do something bigger and better.”
In an interview, for the interviewer to inform the candidate that the position has already been filled is enough to leave the candidate dejected and with loss of confidence. However, contrary to the expectations of the British officials heading Mr. Desai’s interview, he did not show dejection and instead stated that with the world full of possibilities and his energy and enthusiasm, he would head to bigger and better achievements, which left the officials stunned.
Impressed by this response of Mr. Desai’s, the officials sent a recommendation to the Government that even though the post under consideration had already been filled, a candidate of the likes of Mr. Desai, with his qualifications, confidence and energy, must be recruited by creating a special post for him. The Government accepted the recommendation and appointed Mr. Desai to a new post immediately.
When right from the beginning an individual is so full of hope, self-confidence and energy and believes in positive thinking, he/she is sure to be blessed with manifold successes in life.