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{{Use Indian English|date=June 2016}}
The '''States Reorganisation Commission''' ('''SRC''') constituted by the Central Government of [[India]] on 22 December 1953 to recommend the reorganisation of state boundaries. In 1955, after nearly two years of study, the Commission recommended that India's state boundaries should be reorganised to form 14 states and 6 territories.

States Reorganisation Commission consisted of [[Fazal Ali]], [[K. M. Panikkar]] and [[H. N. Kunzru]]. Some of its recommendations were implemented in the [[States Reorganisation Act]] of 1956.

== Background ==
[[File:India Administrative Divisions 1951.svg|right|thumb|300px|India Administrative Divisions in 1951]]
After India became independent from the British Empire in 1947, the constituent units of India were classified under the following distinct categories:<ref name="Constitution1949">{{cite web|title=The Constitution of India (1949)|url=http://164.100.47.134/intranet/CAI/E.pdf|work=Lok Sabha Secretariat|access-date=30 November 2013|pages=1141–1143|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203013102/http://164.100.47.134/intranet/CAI/E.pdf|archive-date=3 December 2013}}</ref><ref name="Showick2009">{{cite book | author=Showick Thorpe Edgar Thorpe | title=The Pearson General Studies Manual | edition = 1 | year = 2009 | publisher=Pearson Education India | isbn=978-81-317-2133-9 | pages= 3.12–3.13 }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
! Category
! Description
! Administrator
! States
|-
| Part A states
| Former British provinces
| An elected governor and state legislature
| 9 states: [[Assam]], [[Bihar]], [[Bombay State|Bombay]], [[East Punjab]], [[Madhya Pradesh]], [[Madras State|Madras]], [[Odisha]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], and [[West Bengal]]
|-
| Part B states
| Former princely states or groups of Covenanting states
| [[Rajpramukh]] (former princes)
| 9 states: [[Hyderabad State|Hyderabad]], [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]], [[Madhya Bharat]], [[Mysore State|Mysore]], [[Patiala and East Punjab States Union]] (PEPSU), [[Rajasthan]], [[Saurashtra (region)|Saurashtra]], [[Travancore-Cochin]], and [[Vindhya Pradesh]]
|-
| Part C
| Former princely states and provinces
| Chief commissioner
| 10 states: [[Ajmer State|Ajmer]], [[Coorg State|Coorg]], [[Cooch-Behar]], [[Bhopal State (1949–56)|Bhopal]], [[Bilaspur State (1950 - 1954)|Bilaspur]], [[Delhi]], [[Himachal Pradesh]], [[Kutch State|Kutch]], [[Manipur]], and [[Tripura]]
|-
| Part D
| Union Territory
| Governor appointed by the Indian president
| [[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]
|}

The borders of these states, inherited from [[British India]], were not suitable for easy administration. The internal provincial borders of British India were a result of historical events, as well as political, military and strategic planning by the British. The Government agreed that the reorganisation of state borders was necessary, but the basis of reorganisation was yet to be determined.

One of the proposals was to reorganise the state on the basis of [[languages of India]]. This would make administration easier, and would help replace the caste and religion-based identities with less controversial linguistic identities. Earlier in 1920, the members of the [[Indian National Congress]] had agreed on the linguistic reorganisation of the Indian states as one of the party's political goals.<ref name="KarlSchmidt1995">{{cite book | author=Karl J. Schmidt | title=An atlas and survey of South Asian history | url=https://archive.org/details/atlassurveyofsou0000schm | url-access=registration | year=1995 | publisher=M.E. Sharpe | isbn=978-1-56324-334-9 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/atlassurveyofsou0000schm/page/88 88] }}</ref> The Provincial Committees of the party were set on this basis since 1920. In 1927, the Congress declared that it was committed to "the redistribution of provinces on a linguistic basis", and reaffirmed its stance several times, including in the election manifesto of 1945-46.<ref name="AGNoorani_trap_2010">{{cite journal | url = http://www.frontlineonnet.com/fl2708/stories/20100423270808500.htm | title = Linguism trap | author = AG Noorani | journal = Frontline | volume = 27 | issue = 8 | date = 10–23 April 2010 | publisher == [[The Hindu]] | access-date = 2012-01-03 }}</ref>

But, soon after independence, the Congress-led Government became concerned that the states formed solely on a linguistic basis might be unsuitable, and might even pose a risk to the national unity.<ref name="KarlSchmidt1995"/> On 17 June 1948, [[Rajendra Prasad]], the President of the Constituent Assembly, set up the Linguistic Provinces Commission (aka Dhar Commission) to recommend whether the states should be reorganised on linguistic basis or not. The committee included SK Dhar (retired Judge of the [[Allahabad High Court]]), [[Jagat Narain Lal]] (lawyer and member of constituent assembly) and Panna Lall (retired [[Indian Civil Service]] officer). In its 10 December 1948 report, the Commission recommended that "the formation of provinces on exclusively or even mainly linguistic considerations is not in the larger interests of the Indian nation."<ref name="Virendra1976">{{cite book|author=Virendra Kumar | title=Committees And Commissions In India Vol. 1 : 1947-54 | year = 1976 | publisher=Concept | isbn=978-81-7022-196-8 | pages=70–71}}</ref> It recommended the reorganisation of the provinces of [[Madras State|Madras]], [[Bombay State|Bombay]] and [[Central Provinces and Berar]] primarily on the basis of geographical contiguity, financial self-sufficiency and ease of administration. Soon after the report was published, the Congress, at its Jaipur session, set up the "JVP committee" to study the recommendations of the Dhar Commission. The committee, comprised [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] and [[Vallabhbhai Patel]], in addition to the Congress president [[Pattabhi Sitaramayya]]. In its report dated 1 April 1949, the Committee stated that the time was not suitable for formation of new provinces, but also stated that the "public sentiment is insistent and overwhelming, we, as democrats, have to submit to it, but subject to certain limitations in regard to the good of India as a whole."<ref name="AGNoorani_trap_2010"/>

[[Dr. B. R. Ambedkar]] submitted a Memorandum (dated 14 October 1948) to the Dhar Commission, supporting the formation of linguistic provinces, specifically the formation of the [[Marathi language|Marathi]]-majority [[Maharashtra]] state with [[Bombay]] as its capital. To address the concern of national unity, he suggested that the official language of every province should be same as the official language of the Central Government.<ref name="BRAmbedkar1948">{{cite book | author=Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar | title=Maharashtra as a linguistic province: statement submitted to the Linguistic Provinces Commission | year=1948|publisher=Thacker}}</ref> [[Kanaiyalal Maneklal Munshi|KM Munshi]], a Gujarati leader opposed to incorporation of Bombay in the proposed Maharashtra state, opposed the linguistic reorganisation proposal, saying that "the political ambition of a linguistic group can only be satisfied by the exclusion and discrimination of other linguistic groups within the area. No safeguards and no fundamental rights can save them from the subtle psychological exclusion which linguism implies."<ref name="AGNoorani_trap_2010"/>

By the 1952, the demand for creation of a Telugu-majority state in the parts of the [[Madras State]] had become powerful. [[Potti Sreeramulu]], one of the activists demanding the formation of a Telugu-majority state, died on 16 December 1952 after undertaking a [[fast-unto-death]]. Subsequently, the Telugu-majority [[Andhra State]] was formed in 1953. This sparked off agitations all over the country, with linguistic groups demanding separate statehoods.<ref name="Showick2009"/>
The report of the State Reorganisation Commission was received by the Government 30-Sep-1955 afternoon.<ref> https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/760316/1/lsd_01_10_01-10-1955.pdf page 5</ref>

== SRC report ==

The Commission submitted its report on 30 September 1955, with the following recommendations:<ref name="Showick2009"/>
# The three-tier (Part-A/B/C) state system should be abolished...
# The institution of Rajapramukh and special agreement with former princely states should be abolished
# The general control vested in Government of India by Article 371 should be abolished
# Only the following 3 states should be the Union Territories: Andaman & Nicobar, Delhi and Manipur. The other Part-C/D territories should be merged with the adjoining states

The report was tabled in the [[Lok Sabha]] on 14 December 1955.

In Part II of Report of the States Reorganisation Commission (SRC) 1955, titled "Factors Bearing on Reorganisation", the Commission clearly said that "it is neither possible nor desirable to reorganise States on the basis of the single test of either language or culture, but that a balanced approach to the whole problem is necessary in the interest of our national unity."<ref>{{cite book|last=Marshall|first=David F.|title=Language Planning|date=January 1991|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KqhkZ4_NkmwC&pg=PA107|publisher=John Benjamin Publishing co.|isbn=9027220824|access-date=5 June 2013}}</ref>

== Implementation ==

The [[States Reorganisation Act]] of 1956 implemented some of the recommendations of the SRC. In addition to the three Union Territories (UTs) proposed by the SRC, it also established [[Lakshadweep|Laccadive, Minicoy & Amindivi Islands]], [[Himachal Pradesh]] and [[Tripura]] as UTs. It established a total of 14 states in addition to these UTs.

{{See also|States Reorganisation Act}}

== Controversies ==
[[File:South Indian territories.svg|235px|thumb|[[South India]]n states prior to the [[States Reorganisation Act]].]]
The recommendations of the commission were not accepted universally.

=== Vidarbha===

The SRC recommended formation of separate [[Vidarbha State]] by splitting majority [[Marathi language|Marathi]] speaking areas from Madhya Pradesh state.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.epw.in/system/files/pdf/1955_7/42/reorganisation_of_statesthe_approach_and_arrangements.pdf |title= The Approach and Arrangements, States Reorganisation committee report, October 1955 |access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref> However, the Indian government did not accept the recommendation and merged these areas in the predominantly Marathi speaking [[Bombay state]]. Vidarbha would have been the second Marathi majority state for the people of a regional /provincial language in India.

=== Kerala-Madras ===

The [[Travancore Tamil Nadu Congress]] demanded to merge [[Thovalai]], [[Agasteeswaram]], [[Kalkulam]], [[Vilavancode]], Neyyatinkara, [[Senkottai]], [[Deviculam]] and [[Peermade]] with Madras State.<ref name="Peter127">{{cite book | author1=D. Peter|author2=Ivy Peter | title=Liberation of the Oppressed: A Continuous Struggle | page = 127 }}</ref> However, the Commission recommended only the merger of Thovalai, Agasteeswaram, Kalkulam, Vilvancode and Shenkottai with Madras State. In Neyyatinkara Taluk the Commission found that 86% of the people knew Malayalam. So the Commission did not favour the merger of this Taluk with Madras State. During the Lok Sabha (Parliament) discussions, the representatives of Travancore-Cochin State vehemently opposed the Commission's recommendations for the merger of the Southern Taluks with Madras State.<ref name="Peter127"/> [[A. Nesamony]] argued for the merger of Neyyatinkara, Deviculam, Peermade and [[Chittoor]] with the Tamil-majority Madras State.<ref name="Peter127"/>

Even though the SRC recommended for the merger of the entire [[Shenkottai taluk]], the subsequently formed Joint Committee recommended the eastern portion of Shenkottai alone to be merged with Madras State. This decision was finally published authoritatively on 16 January 1956. In the July 1956 Lok Sabha meeting, Nesamony argued for the full merger of Shencottai as recommended by SRC. The House refused to reconsider the decision of the joint Committee by over-ruling the recommendation of the SRC.<ref name="Peter127"/>

On the basis of the percentage of the people speaking Tamil, the S.R.Commission recommended for the transfer of four taluks namely, Agasteeswaram, Thovalai, Kalkulam and Vilavancode to Tamil Nadu from the State of Travancore-Cochin. The same yard stick was used for the transfer of Shenkotta Taluk to Tamil Nadu. Even though Shenkotta was fully transferred by the commission, the Joint Committee appointed to fix the exact boundaries of the states, divided Shenkotta Taluk and allowed Travancore–Cochin State to retain a major portion.

=== Andhra-Telangana ===

The Commission's report judged the arguments for and against the merger of the [[Telugu language|Telugu]]-majority [[Telangana]] region (of [[Hyderabad State]]) and the [[Andhra State]] (created in 1953). Para 369 to 389 of SRC deals with the merger of Telangana and Andhra to establish the [[Andhra Pradesh]] state (complete text of the recommendations is available on [[s:India States Reorganisation Commission Report Telangana Andhra|Wikisource]]). Para 386 of SRC says, "After taking all these factors into consideration we have come to the conclusions that it will be in the interests of Andhra as well as Telangana, if for the present, the Telangana area is to constitute into a separate State, which may be known as the Hyderabad State with provision for its unification with Andhra after the general elections likely to be held in or about 1961 if by a two thirds majority the legislature of the residency Hyderabad State expresses itself in favor of such unification".

Hyderabad Chief minister in his [[s:Hyderabad CM Burgula Views about merger|letter]] to Congress President said Communist parties supported the merger for their political calculations. Hyderabad PCC chief said overwhelming majority from Congress opposed the merger and Communists were elected in special circumstances in 1951 and Visalandhra was not a political issue in 1951 and Assembly does not reflect people's view on this issue. He also said 80% of Congress delegates who were elected in 1955 opposed the merger.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19551121&printsec=frontpage |title=No belief in Safeguards: Hyderabad PCC chief. - Page 4 of Nov 21, 1955 Indian Express |date=1955-11-21 |access-date=2011-10-09}}</ref>

In Hyderabad assembly out of 174 MLAs, 147 MLAs expressed their view. 103 MLAs (including Marathi and Kannada MLAs) supported the merger and opposed the Fazal Ali Commission's recommendation to keep Telangana as a separate state for 5 years; and 29 opposed such merger. Among Telangana MLAs, 59 Telangana MLAs agreed with the merger, 25 Telangana MLAs opposed the merger. Out of 94 Telangana MLAs in the assembly, 36 were Communists(PDF), 40 were Congress, 11 were Socialist party(SP), 9 were independents. Voting did not take place on the resolution because Telangana proponents asked to include the phrase "As per the wishes of people" in the resolution.<ref>{{cite web|title=Page 1 of the edition December 5, 1955|url=http://www.pressacademyarchives.ap.nic.in/Archive/STATE_CENTRAL_LIBRARY_AFZALGUNJ/ANDHRAPRABHA/800323_ANDHRAPRABHA_05_12_1955_Volume_No_18_Issue_No_283/00000001.pdf|publisher=Andhra Prabha|access-date=15 August 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016130326/http://www.pressacademyarchives.ap.nic.in/Archive/STATE_CENTRAL_LIBRARY_AFZALGUNJ/ANDHRAPRABHA/800323_ANDHRAPRABHA_05_12_1955_Volume_No_18_Issue_No_283/00000001.pdf|archive-date=16 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 1951 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF HYDERABAD|url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1951/StatRep_51_HBD.pdf|publisher=Election Commission|access-date=15 August 2013}}</ref>

An agreement was reached between Telangana leaders and Andhra leaders on 20 February 1956 to merge Telangana and Andhra with promises to safeguard Telangana's interests.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19560201&printsec=frontpage | title=SRC sub committee said no decision on Visalandhra taken | page=1 | date=1 February 1956 | newspaper=Indian Express}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19560221&printsec=frontpage | title=New Telugu state to be called Hyderabad. Regional council for Telangana | page=1 | date=21 February 1956 | newspaper=Indian Express}}</ref> Popular newspaper in Telangana, Golconda Patrika, in its editorial on 8 March 1956, immediately after Nehru public declaration about the merger, expressing doubts about the Gentleman's agreement said "Andhra older brother might say any number of sweet things now, but they have to be committed to their promises and they should not exploit Telangana younger brother in future."<ref>{{cite web|title=Parreksha Samayam(Testing time)|url=http://www.pressacademyarchives.ap.nic.in/Archive/STATE_CENTRAL_LIBRARY_AFZALGUNJ/GOLCONDAPATRIKA/100532_GOLCONDAPATRIKA_08_03_1956_Volume_No_9_Issue_No_69/00000002.pdf|publisher=Golconda Patrika - 8 March 1956 - Page 2|access-date=10 March 2014}}</ref>

Following the [[Gentlemen's agreement of Andhra Pradesh (1956)|Gentlemen's agreement]], the central government established a unified [[Andhra Pradesh]] on 1 November 1956.

There have been several movements to invalidate the merger of Telangana and Andhra, major ones occurring in 1969, 1972 and 2000s onwards. The [[Telangana movement]] gained momentum over decades becoming a widespread political demand of creating a new state from the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh.<ref>{{cite news|title=How Telangana movement has sparked political turf war in Andhra|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/report/how-telangana-movement-has-sparked-political-turf-war-in-andhra/20111005.htm|work=[[Rediff.com]]|date=5 October 2011|access-date=19 February 2012}}</ref> In early 2014, the [[Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014]] was approved by the Indian parliament, and Telangana became India's 29th state on 2 June 2014.

=== Punjabi Suba ===

The [[Akali Dal]], a [[Sikh]]-dominated political party active only in [[East Punjab|Punjab]], sought to create a [[Punjabi Suba]] (a [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]]-majority) province. This new state would be a Sikh-majority state, which caused concern among the [[Punjabi Hindu]]s. The Sikh leaders such [[Fateh Singh (Sikh leader)|Fateh Singh]] tactically stressed the linguistic basis of the demand, while downplaying its religious basis — a state where the distinct Sikh identity could be preserved.<ref name="paul_brass_north_india">{{cite book | first = Paul R. | last = Brass | title = Language, Religion and Politics in North India | publisher = iUniverse | year = 2005 | isbn = 978-0-595-34394-2 | page = 326 }}</ref>

The States Reorganisation Commission rejected the demand for a Punjabi-majority state saying that it lacked a majority support and that Punjabi was not grammatically very distinct from Hindi. The [[Patiala and East Punjab States Union]] (PEPSU) was merged with Punjab, though. Akali Dal continued its movement, and in 1966 the [[Punjab Reorganisation Act]] split Punjab into the Sikh-majority [[Punjab (India)|Punjab state]] and the Hindu-majority states of [[Haryana]] and [[Himachal Pradesh]], with [[Chandigarh]], administered as a separate [[Union territories of India|union territory]], as the shared capital of [[Punjab, India|Punjab]] and [[Haryana]] states.

=== Belagavi ===

{{main|Belagavi border dispute}}

After India became independent in 1947, the Belagavi district ([[Belgaum]]) of the erstwhile [[Bombay Presidency]] was retained by the Marathi dominated [[Bombay State]]. The award of the [[Belagavi]] district to the [[Kannada language|Kannada]]-majority [[Mysore State]] (later [[Karnataka]]) was contested by the [[Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti]], which wanted it to be included in the proposed Marathi-majority [[Maharashtra]] state.

== External links ==
Lok Sabha Discussion on States Reorganisation Commission
* https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/55931/1/lsd_01_11_09-12-1955.pdf Page 36
* https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/55796/1/lsd_01_11_14-12-1955.pdf page 38
* https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/55799/1/lsd_01_11_15-12-1955.pdf page 43
* https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/56096/1/lsd_01_11_16-12-1955.pdf page 50
* https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/55783/1/lsd_01_11_17-12-1955.pdf page 16
* https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/55801/1/lsd_01_11_19-12-1955.pdf page 42
* https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/55810/1/lsd_01_11_20-12-1955.pdf page 50
* https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/55811/1/lsd_01_11_21-12-1955.pdf page 74
* https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/55812/1/lsd_01_11_22-12-1955.pdf page 49
* https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/56101/1/lsd_01_11_23-12-1955.pdf page 247

==See also==
* [[States Reorganisation Act]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Indian commissions}}

[[Category:Indian commissions and inquiries]]
[[Category:Reorganisation of Indian states]]
[[Category:1955 in India]]

States Reorganisation Commission - Revision history

imported>Certes: improve link: Punjab, India