The Linguistic Reorganization of the States

Learning Outcomes

1. Understand the role of language in the formation of Indian states.
2. Recognize key decisions and their impact on national unity.
3. Analyze the relationship between linguistic reorganization and federal stability.

The reorganization of Indian states on the basis of language emerged soon after independence as a key aspect of national consolidation and integration. Under British rule, India’s provincial boundaries were drawn arbitrarily, paying little attention to linguistic or cultural cohesion, resulting in most provinces being multilingual and multicultural. The presence of princely states further added to the complexity. The demand for states based on linguistic criteria was based on several strong arguments.

The Case for Linguistic States

The demand for linguistic states gained momentum because of the following key reasons:

1. Language is deeply tied to culture, influencing people’s customs and traditions.
2. Education and mass literacy can spread more effectively through the mother tongue.
3. Democracy becomes more meaningful when politics and administration are conducted in a language that the common people can understand.
4. The Congress had, since 1921, committed to political mobilization in the mother tongue and reorganized its regional branches based on linguistic lines.

Early Resistance Post-Independence

After independence, the national leadership was initially hesitant to reorganize states along linguistic lines due to several reasons:

1. Partition had caused serious political, economic, and administrative challenges.
2. Problems such as the Kashmir issue and law and order needed immediate attention.
3. The leaders felt that redrawing boundaries might dislocate the administration and intensify regional and linguistic rivalries.
4. Nehru emphasized prioritizing India’s security and stability over immediate linguistic reorganization.

Despite the Congress leadership’s caution, the Constituent Assembly raised the issue early. In 1948, the Linguistic Provinces Commission, led by Justice S.K. Dar, advised against linguistic provinces. However, public opinion, especially in the southern regions, remained unsatisfied.

The JVP Committee

To further examine the issue, the Congress appointed the JVP Committee in December 1948, comprising Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, and Pattabhi Sitaramayya. This committee recommended postponing the creation of linguistic states, emphasizing national unity, security, and economic development. However, the Congress left room for creating new states where demands were insistent and overwhelming.

The Andhra Movement and the Formation of Andhra Pradesh

The demand for a separate Andhra state was one of the earliest examples of popular movements pushing for linguistic reorganization. Key events:

1. The demand for a separate Andhra state had existed for nearly half a century and had widespread support.
2. The conflict centered on the disagreement over the inclusion of Madras city, with Andhra leaders refusing to concede it.
3. Patti Sriramalu, a freedom fighter, undertook a fast unto death, which resulted in his demise after 58 days.
4. This triggered widespread riots and demonstrations, forcing the government to concede and create the state of Andhra in 1953, along with Tamil Nadu.

Impact of the Andhra Struggle

The Andhra success encouraged other linguistic groups to demand their own states or a rectification of boundaries based on language. Nehru, despite his reservations, found it undemocratic to suppress such demands. However, the agitation and violence surrounding these demands troubled him.

The States Reorganization Commission (SRC)

In 1953, Nehru sought to handle the rising linguistic demands by appointing the States Reorganisation Commission (SRC), which included Justice Fazl Ali, K.M. Panikkar, and Hridaynath Kunzru. The SRC, while recognizing the linguistic principle, also emphasized the need to consider administrative and economic factors. Its key recommendations included:

1. The redrawing of state boundaries on linguistic lines.
2. Opposition to the division of Bombay and Punjab based on language.

Implementation of SRC’s Recommendations

The States Reorganisation Act was passed by parliament in November 1956. Key provisions:

1. Creation of fourteen states and six centrally administered territories.
2. The Telangana area of Hyderabad was merged with Andhra.
3. Kerala was created by merging parts of the Malabar district with Travancore-Cochin.
4. Certain Kannada-speaking areas were added to Mysore state.
5. The state of Bombay was enlarged by adding Kutch, Saurashtra, and Marathi-speaking areas.

The Bombay Controversy and Its Aftermath

The reorganization of Bombay state faced the strongest opposition. Key points of conflict:

1. Maharashtrians wanted Bombay city to be part of Maharashtra.
2. Gujaratis opposed this, fearing they would become a minority in Maharashtra.
3. Riots and demonstrations erupted, and C.D. Deshmukh, the Finance Minister, resigned over the issue.
4. Ultimately, in 1960, the state was bifurcated into Maharashtra and Gujarat, with Bombay city included in Maharashtra.

The Punjab Case

An exception to the linguistic principle was the case of Punjab. Initially, Punjab remained a trilingual state. However, communal tensions arose between the Akali Dal and Jan Sangh, framing the demand for a Punjabi Suba as a Sikh demand. Despite the linguistic basis, Nehru and Congress saw the demand as a communal issue. Finally, in 1966, Indira Gandhi agreed to split Punjab into Punjabi-speaking Punjab and Hindi-speaking Haryana, with Chandigarh serving as a Union Territory and joint capital.

Outcomes of Linguistic Reorganization

Important Note:
Linguistic reorganization removed a major grievance that could have fostered divisive tendencies and significantly contributed to national integration.

The reorganization resulted in several important outcomes:

1. It strengthened national unity by creating politically coherent units based on language.
2. It did not weaken the federal structure or diminish the central government’s authority.
3. The central government retained its authority, and the states cooperated in national planning and development.
4. Loyalty to a language became complementary to national loyalty rather than a divisive force.

Minority Languages and Their Status

Minority languages became an important aspect of the reorganization. Despite the formation of linguistic states, nearly 18% of India’s population remained part of linguistic minorities.

Key concerns included:

1. The need to protect linguistic minorities from discrimination while ensuring their integration into the state’s majority culture.
2. The constitution provided Fundamental Rights to linguistic minorities, such as the right to establish and administer educational institutions.
3. The provision for instruction in the mother tongue was enshrined in the 1956 constitutional amendment.

Challenges Faced by Linguistic Minorities

The implementation of protections for linguistic minorities varied across states. The Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities regularly reported cases of discrimination. Issues included:

1. Schooling and employment discrimination in several states due to lack of proficiency in the state’s official language.
2. Some progress was made in providing primary education in minority languages, though resources often remained inadequate.

The Special Case of Urdu

Urdu, India’s largest minority language, faced distinct challenges:

1. Urdu speakers constituted substantial populations in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and other states, yet Urdu was not recognized as the official language of any major state.
2. In states like Uttar Pradesh, Urdu faced official neglect, with its use in education and administration significantly reduced.
3. Jawaharlal Nehru strongly supported Urdu, seeing it as a symbol of India’s cultural integration.

Important Note:
Nehru emphasized that Urdu was a quintessentially Indian language, contributing to the richness of Indian culture and thought.

Despite challenges, Urdu continued to thrive as the language of literature, films, and television.

MCQ
Which year was the States Reorganisation Act passed?
A) 1953
B) 1956
C) 1960
D) 1966
Answer: B