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Polity Class 12 (Part 2): Reorganization of States: Introduction

Reorganization of States

  • It was essential to draw the states to reflect the cultural and linguistic diversity of the country without compromising unity.
  • Our national movement did not approve the divisions. With the formation of new states, it wanted to lay a strong foundation of linguistic principles. The 1920 Nagpur session recognized the language as the basis of reorganization for the Indian National Congress party.
  • Provincial Congress Committees that were created from linguistic zones didn’t follow the administrative divisions of British India.
  • However, after independence, it was believed that the dividing of states based on linguistic differences could lead to disintegration and disruption while moving away from other economic and social challenges.
  • Because of these concerns, the leadership decided not to reorganize. There erupted protests against this decision from the Telugu-speaking regions of the Madras Province.

State Reorganization Commission

State reorganization action was advocated by the Fazl Ali Commission based on cultural landscape giving importance to language. Andhra Pradesh is considered as the first state that formed on linguistic basis. State reorganization Commission was established after independence due to 2 factors-

  • For developing a new administrative set up for India including both for Princely States and British Provinces.
  • As New India was set up with a regional governance legacy, hence to abandon the regional government is not so easy.

Creation of the First Linguistic state

  • Vishalandhra (the movement to separate Andhra) demanded to separate the Madras province and the Telugu speaking areas, which were a part of them, into an independent Andhra Province. 
  • A veteran Gandhian and a Congress leader, Potti Sriramulu protested with an unbroken fast. It ended after 56 days with his death. This stirred violence and unrest across the entire Andhra.
  • In December 1952, the Prime Minister declared the creation of an independent Andhra State.

State Reorganization Commission and States Reorganization Act

  • This led to the creation of other states along linguistic lines throughout the country.
  • These struggles forced the Central Government to create a States Reorganization Commission, which was established in 1953 to investigate the redefinition of state boundaries.
  • In its report, the Commission acknowledged that the boundaries for a state should be consistent with the limitations of various languages.
  • Its report was the basis for the 1956 States Reorganization Act.
  • It resulted in the creation of 14 new states and six union territories.

Linguistic Reorganization Of States: India, after the linguistic reorganization of states

  • There was concern that language states might encourage separatism and place pressures on the newly-founded nation.
  • However, it was hoped that accepting linguistic and regional claims would lessen the possibility of division or separatism while deciding linguistic states.
  • It had many benefits for India.
  • Other than the English-speaking elite, anyone could now access power and politics.
  • It was possible to draw state borders consistently.
  • It did not cause the country to fall apart.
  • Most importantly, the accepted principle of diversity was underlined by the linguistic countries.

Therefore, a plurality of ideas characterizes Indian democracy and life and does not limit itself to democratic constitutions and specific elections.

Creation of New States

  • Formation of Maharashtra, Gujarat in 1960
  • Nagaland became a state in 1963
  • Haryana was formed in 1966 from Punjab
  • Meghalaya was formed from Tripura, Manipur, and Assam.
  • In 1987, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh were established.
  • In 2000, Chhattisgarh was created along with Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh.

What was the reason for the formation of the State Reorganization Commission?

India had about 500 disjointed princely states in 1947 at the time of independence. The constituent units of India temporarily were divided into part A, B, C and D states. Hence the government of India constituted State Reorganization on 29th of December 1953 for looking into the redrawing the boundaries of States matter.Among them the most popular demand was to reorganize the states based on languages. The reason to do this is to make administration easier and to replace any controversial religion and case-based identities in accordance with less controversial linguistic identities. The members of the State Reorganization Commision were Fazal Ali, H N Kunzru and K M Pannikar.

Conclusion

In the UPSC prelims and mains various questions from Reorganization of States may be asked.So, aspirants should prepare well and remember the  important questions related to the State classification into 4 types.In this article we have  studied why it was essential to draw the states to reflect the cultural and linguistic diversity of the country without compromising unity. The State Reorganization Commission and States Reorganization Act led to the creation of other states along linguistic lines throughout the country.These struggles forced the Central Government to create a States Reorganization Commission, which was established in 1953 to investigate the redefinition of state boundaries.In its report, the Commission acknowledged that the boundaries for a state should be consistent with the limitations of various languages.

Our national movement did not approve the divisions. With the formation of new states, it wanted to lay a strong foundation of linguistic principles. The 1920 Nagpur session recognized the language as the basis of reorganization for the Indian National Congress party.

We have also studied here why the State Reorganization Commission formed. Reason for the creation of the first linguistic state  as Vishalandhra (the movement to separate Andhra) demanded to separate the Madras province and the Telugu speaking areas, which were a part of them, into an independent Andhra Province. A veteran Gandhian and a Congress leader, Potti Sriramulu protested with an unbroken fast. It ended after 56 days with his death. This stirred violence and unrest across the entire Andhra.