t.com www.GOALias.blogspot.com www.GOALias.blogspot.com

www.GOALias.blogspot.comChallenges of Nation Building 21Credit: Shankar“Struggle for Survival” (Published in 1953) captures contemporary impressionof the demand for linguistic statesThe formation of Andhra Pradesh spurred the strugglefor making of other states on linguistic lines in otherparts of the country. These struggles forced the CentralGovernment into appointing a States ReorganisationCommission in 1953 to look into the question of redrawingof the boundaries of states. The Commission in its reportaccepted that the boundaries of the state should reflectthe boundaries of different languages. On the basis ofits report the States Reorganisation Act was passed in1956. This led to the creation of 14 states and six unionterritories.Now, isn’t this very interesting? Nehru and otherleaders were very popular, and yet the people did nothesitate to agitate for linguistic states against thewishes of the leaders!Potti Sriramulu(1901-1952): Gandhianworker; left governmentjob to participate inSalt Satyagraha; alsoparticipated in individualSatyagraha; went on afast in 1946 demandingthat temples in Madrasprovince be opened todalits; undertook a fastunto death from 19 October1952 demanding separatestate of Andhra Pradesh;died during the fast on15 December 1952.