The Linguistic Reorganization of Indian States 

(PG- 2nd semester- CC9- Contemporary India)  

By Kunal 
Assistant Professor, Department of History 
Samastipur College, Samastipur. 
 
 
Immediately after independence the reorganization of the states on the basis of language,a
major aspect of national consolidation and integration, came to the forefront. The boundaries of
provinces in pre-1947 India had been drawn in a haphazard manner as the British conquest of
India had proceeded for nearly a hundred years. No heed was paid to linguistic or cultural
cohesion so that most of the provinces were multilingual and multicultural. The interspersed
princely states had added a further element of heterogeneity.

The movement for linguistic states

Demand of states on linguistic basis was developed even before independence of India under
British rule. Though that time Indian administrative regions were identified as different
provinces. Odisha was the first Indian state formed on linguistic basis on 1st April, 1936 due to
the efforts of Madhusudan Das, Gajapati Krushna Chandra Dev, etc and became Orissa
Province In Odisha linguistic movement started in the year 1895 and intensified later years with
the demand of separate province first from Bengal and then from Bihar.

Need for Linguistic Reorganization of the States

The need for linguistic states as administrative units was very strong. Language is closely
related to culture and customs of people of India. Besides this the massive spread of education
and growth of mass literacy can only happen through the medium of the mother tongue.
Democracy can become real to the common people only when politics and administration are
conducted through the language they can understand. But this language, the mother tongue
cannot be the medium of education or administration or judicial activity unless a state is formed
on the basis of such a predominant language.

Urge for redistribution of provinces on linguistic basis by congress

With the involvement of the masses in the national movement after 1919, Congress undertook
political mobilization in the mother tongue and in 1921 amended its constitution and reorganized
its regional branches on a linguistic basis. Since then, the Congress repeatedly committed itself
to the redrawing of the provincial boundaries on linguistic lines. Gandhiji argued that 'the
redistribution of provinces on a linguistic basis was necessary if provincial languages were to
grow to their full height.' It was therefore more or less universally assumed that free India would
base its administrative boundaries on the linguistic principle.
Hindrances for the national leadership
On the other hand, the national leadership had second thoughts on the subject immediately
after independence. There were various hindrances for this. The Partition had created serious
administrative, economic and political dislocation; and independence, coming immediately after
the War, was accompanied by serious economic and law and order problems, Also there was
the vexed Kashmir problem and a war-like situation vis-a-vis Pakistan. The leadership felt that
the most important task for the present was to consolidate national unity; and any effort
undertaken immediately to redraw the internal boundaries might dislocate administration and
economic development, intensify regional and linguistic rivalries, unleash destructive forces, and
damage the unity of the country. On the linguistic question, Nehru first emphasized on security
and stability of India.

Dhar Committee
In 1948, the government appointed a commission under S.K.Dhar, a judge of the Allahabad
High Court, to examine the case for the reorganization of states on the linguistic basis.Admitting
the importance of the reorganization of states on a linguistic basis, the commission, however,
attached more importance to historical, geographical and economic considerations. It favoured
reorganization on the basis of administrative convenience rather than linguistic considerations.

JVP Committee
However, the public opinion was not satisfied, especially in the South, and the problem
remained politically alive. To appease the vocal votaries of linguistic states, the Congress
appointed a committee (JVP) in December 1948 consisting of Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar
Vallabhbhai Patel and Pattabhi Sitaramayya, President of the Congress, to examine the
question afresh. This committee advised against the creation of linguistic states for the time
being, emphasizing on unity, national security, and economic development as the needs of the
hour.

Creation of Andhra Pradesh

On 19 October 1952, a popular freedom fighter, Patti Sriramalu, undertook a fast unto death
over the demand for a separate Andhra and expired after fifty-eight days. His death was
followed by three days of rioting, demonstrations, hartals and violence all over Andhra. The
government immediately gave in and conceded the demand for a separate state of Andhra,
which finally came into existence in October 1953. Simultaneously, Tamil Nadu was created as
a Tamil-speaking state.

States Reorganization Commission or Fazal Ali Commission

The success of the Andhra struggle encouraged other linguistic groups to agitate for their own
state or for rectification of their boundaries on a linguistic basis. To meet the demand half way
and to delay matters, Nehru appointed in August 1953 the States Reorganization Commission
(SRC), with Justice Fazl Ali, K.M. Panikkar and Hridaynath Kunzru as members, to examine
'objectively and dispassionately' the entire question of the reorganization of the states of the
union. Throughout the two years of its work, the Commission was faced with meetings,
demonstrations, agitations and hunger strikes. Different linguistic groups clashed with each
other, verbally as well as sometimes physically. The SRC submitted its report in October 1955.
While laying down that due consideration should be given to administrative and economic
factors, it recognized for the most part the linguistic principle and recommended redrawing of
state boundaries on that basis. The States Reorganization Act was passed by parliament in
November 1956. It provided the following fourteen states and six centrally administered
Territories. They were: The states were Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Bombay, Jammu and
Kashmir, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Madras, Mysore, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh
and West Bengal. The six union territories were Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Delhi, Himachal
Pradesh, Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindivi Islands, Manipur and Tripura.

Diversion of the state of Bombay

In 1960 as result of agitation and violence, the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat were created
by bifurcating the state of Bombay. With this the strength of the Indian states rose to 15.

Formation of Nagaland
In 1963, the state of Nagaland was formed to placate the Nagas. However, before providing it
the status of a full-fledged state, it was placed under the control of the Governor of Assam in
1961. With it the strength of the Indian states rose to 16.

Territories from France and Portuguese

After the acquisition of Chandernagore, Mahe, Yaman and Karkal from France, and the
territories of Goa, Daman and Diu from the Portuguese, these were either merged with the
neighbouring states or given the status of union territories.

Shah Commission
In 1966, the parliament passed the Punjab Reorganization Act after an agitation for the
formation of Punjabi Suba. This step was taken on the recommendation of the Shah
Commission appointed in April, 1966. As a result of this act, the Punjabi-speaking areas were
constituted into the state of Haryana and the hilly areas were merged with the adjoining Union
Territory of Himachal Pradesh. Chandigarh was made a union Territory and was to serve as a
common capital of Punjab and Haryana. With Punjab the strength of India rose to 17.

State of Meghalaya
In 1969, the state of Meghalaya was created out of the state of Assam. Initially the state was
given autonomous status within Assam, but subsequently it was made a full-fledged state. This
raised the strength of Indian states to 18.

Further division of states

In 1971, with the elevation of the Union territory of Himachal Pradesh to the status of a state,
the strength of Indian states rose to 19 and then to 21 with the conversion of the Union
Territories of Tripura and Manipur into states. In 1975, Sikkim was admitted as a state of the
Indian Union. Initially, Sikkim was given the status of an associate state but was subsequently
made a full-fledged state. In 1986, Mizoram was given the status of a state. However, it actually
acquired the status of a state in February 1987 and became the 23rd state of the Indian Union.
In February 1987, Arunachal Pradesh, another Union Territory of India, became the 24th state of
Indian Union. In May 1987, the state of Goa was created as the 25th state by separating the
territory from the Union territory of Goa, Daman and Diu, while Daman and Diu remained as
Union territories. Three new states of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Uttaranchal were created in
November 2000. The state in the form of Telangana was created from Andhra Pradesh in 2014.
At present the Indian Union consists of 29 states and 7 union territories while Delhi has
remained as the Capital territory of India.

To conclude, States' reorganization did not, of course, resolve all the problems relating to
linguistic conflicts. Disputes over boundaries between different states, linguistic minorities and
economic issues such as sharing of waters, and power and surplus food still persist. Linguistic
chauvinism also finds occasional expression. But the reorganization has removed a major factor
affecting cohesion of the country.