States Re-organisation Act – 1956 The states reorganisation committee was constituted in December 1953 with Justice Fazl Ali, K.M. Panikkar and Hridayanath Kunzru as members, to examine the issue and recommend the principles for reorganisation keeping in view the objectivity and indiscrimination.

The commission reported in 1955. The recommendations were discussed and debated and finally, the state reorganisation act was passed in November 1956.

The objective of this Act explains “The states of India, as they exist today have been formed largely as a result of historical accidents and circumstances and hence there was a demand for the reorganization of the component units of the Indian Union on a more rational basis, after taking into account, not only the growing importance of regional languages but also financial and administrative considerations.” 

The main features of the Act are:

1. Abolishing the distinction between parts A, B, C, and D states. 

2. Establishment of two categories of units 

• States
• Union territories. 

3. The abolition of Rajpramukhs. 

4. The Act provided for the creation of 14 states and 6 Union Territories.

After 1956, the acceptance of the Principle of linguistic states did not mean that all states immediately became linguistic. There was ‘bilingual’ Bombay state consisting of Gujarati and Marathi speaking people. After a popular agitation, the separate states of Maharashtra and Gujarat were created in 1960.

In Punjab also, there were two linguistic groups Hindi speaking and Punjabi speaking. The Punjabi speaking people demanded a separate state. The Sikh communalists led by AkaliDal and Hindu communalists, led by Bharatiya Jan Sangh used the linguistic issue to promote communal politics.

The SRC had also refused to accept the demand on the ground that it would not solve the language or communal problem of Punjab. After several powerful movements finally in 1966, Punjab was divided into Punjab and Haryana.

Yet, it is not the end of reorganization of states. Language alone did not remain the sole basis of reorganisation of states. Regional culture and complaints of regional imbalance have led to the demands of smaller states. Vidarbha in Maharashtra, Harith Pradesh in Uttar Pradesh and Gorkhaland in West Bengal are demanding statehood. The bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh into Telangana and Seemandhra is declared and divided also in 2013.

Earlier, it was felt that linguistic states may foster separation and thus weaken national unity. But, linguistic state reorganisation has removed some major sources of grievances, which could have led to divisive tendencies. It has only strengthened National unity. At present, there are 29 States and 7 Union territories in India. For list of states