Wielding the Long Stick

Morarji Desai was Deputy Collector at Godhara during the British rule. After independence, he held various important positions: Chief Minister of Bombay State, Finance Minister of India, Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of Administrative Reforms Commission. He had a solid reputation as an able administrator.

His image is of a gruff, rigid and inflexible, almost obstinate person. It was interesting to read his views on the high-handedness in handling of people in administration. In his convocation speech at IIM, Ahmedabad, many years ago, he said about "wielding a long stick" in administration that the presence of a long stick is enough but wielding it too often will lose its efficacy.  That was a gem coming from a veteran of public administration.