"Samyukta Maharashtra Movement": A battle for Marathi pride

 

Maharashtra is a land of  rich cultural and historical heritage. The great Shivaji Maharaj had carved out a empire which was a people's state in a true sense. He created an awareness about our own languages, our own state and its culture. And hence its created a unique Marathi identity.

During the time of freedom movement in Maharashtra the Marathi identity took its concrete form due to the growth of nationalistic values among people. Freedom fighters like Lokmanya Tilak cited various examples of glorious Marathi past and the great Marathi King Shivaji. While explaining the unjust partition of Bengal by lord Curzon he compare it with Afjal Khan's murder by Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

After Independence various regions in India were demanding states on linguistic basis. In Maharashtra demand of separate state of Marathi speaking people was being raised since 1946 . A Samyukta(United) Maharashtra Movement started for this purpose on 28th July 1946.

British created provinces for their administrative convenience. There were 11 provinces during the British rule and they were carved out randomly according to their presidency, there was no any linguistic criterion for creation any province. But this type of demarcation has created many administrative problems due to different languages. Hence Indian National Congress which a  only united voice of Indians demanded linguistic states as there are many languages spoken in different part of India. British also extended their support to this demand.

Demands for Linguistic states 

Demands for separate state on linguistic basis were being raised from throughout the country. After Bengal partition of 1905 Congress has extended its support for linguistic states. It formed provincial committees for Bihar and Sindh in 1908 and 1917 respectively. Telugu speaking population of Madras province stated taking meeting and organizing various campaigns for the demand of separate state.

Nagpur session of Congress(1921) was remembered for many historic changes. At this session Mahatma Gandhi has presented a resolution for formation of  linguistic states. Nehru report of 1928 also demanded state reorganization on linguistic basis. 1937 election manifesto of Congress also presented promises of different linguistic states.

The Drafting commission of Constituent Assembly had set up a commission under the chairmanship of Justice  S.K Dar for state reorganization on linguistic basis.

Dar Commission

This commission consist of Justice SK Dar as a chairman and shri Pannalal and Shri Jagat Narayan Lal as members. They took up a tour of whole India interviewing people and presented their report in 1948. They rejected the idea of linguistic state cited the reason that their is no urgent need of it. Suggested Mumbai to be kept separate from Maharashtra or Gujarat. Congress criticized this report in its Jaipur Session. As no solution has been found on this issue a new commission had been formed with Jawaharlal Nehru,  Sardar Patel and Pattabhi Siddharamaiya popularly known as JVP committee.

JVP committee

This committee presented its report on 5th April 1949. It accepted demand for linguistic states but also told that its not a right time to do this. Maharashtra will be separated but will not include Mumbai in it. Varhad part will not be separated.

 A proposal for separation of Mumbai from Maharashtra had created a wave of resentment throughout the Maharashtra . On November 1949 Acharya P.K Atre and Bhandari had presented a demand in Mumbai Municipal Corporation  for "United Maharashtra along with Mumbai".

State reorganization commission

It suggested 14 states and 6 Union territories. A separate state of  Bombay will be created consisting  Marathi and Gujrati speaking regions. Both Marathi and gujrati speaking peoples were disappointed with this and they started demanding their own state . As a result of mass movement against such unjust demarcation a State of Maharashtra along with Mumbai came into existence on 1st may 1960

Samyukta Maharashtra Movement

A movement for separate state for Marathi speaking people gradually grew its strength after the Independence. All people belonging to different caste and religion united under the common demand of separate state for them. Central government had tried to suppress these demand by stating that it will affect the unity of the nation. People followed a non violence path during this movement. Different states on linguistic background were created in India after the independence. Only telugu and Marathi speaking regions had to fight a very long struggle for this. On 1st May 1960 Maharashtra with Mumbai became Indian state. But some villages which were willing to be part of Maharashtra and also voted for it had gone to Karnataka.

Fighters of United Maharashtra

 Various March, meetings and movements came up during the last stage of the movement. Some leaders like Morarji Desai, S K Patil were against the demand for separate state for Marathi speaking population .

 People's movements

As Morarji went up to present a proposal of three state partition of Bombay people unite to fight against such a move. Senapati Bapat organized a huge rally on Vidhansabha . On 21th November 1955 Morarji Desai said in rally organized at Chaupathi that Mumbai will not be given to Maharashtra if people don’t stop the violent way.

On 21st November 1955 workers in Mumbai went on a strike and gather at a  oval stadium of Mumbai. Desai announced curfew to curb the worker’s strike. Police open fired on workers in which 15 martyred and 300 people were injured.

On 16th January 1956 Prime minister Nehru has announced the Government’s decision about the state reorganization  which contain Mumbai as a union territory  and Maharashtra and Gujarat two separate state. This had increased the anger of people and they went on to road to protest. Desai government again fired on protesting people resulting in death of nearly 106. Various leaders like Prabhodhankar Thackeray, S M Joshi, Shripad Dange, Datta Deshmukh etc had toured whole Maharashtra and made people aware about the demand for separate state. Many newspapers and magazines like Nava Kal, Sakal, Prabodhan, Maratha, Navyug,  also supported the cause and helped to spread the idea.

 Dr B R Ambedkar also supported the demand for united Maharashtra. He said that Mumbai is an integral part of Maharashtra and if any state with Marathi as a linguistic basis is being made then Mumbai must also be a part of it.

Formation of Maharashtra

 On 1st May 1960 Maharashtra state came into being with 26 districts divided into four divisions of Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur and Aurangabad.

 Even after the long struggle Belgaon, Nipani, Bhalki , and Dang could be the part of state.

Yashwantrao Chavan became the first Chief minister of   Maharashtra with Mumbai as its capital

Peoples from various sections of society had participated in this movement. Students, workers, farmers, Writers, political leaders and women were part of this historic movement. If Maharashtra is ahead today from most of the states of India then its credit goes to its founding father who made Maharashtra a progressive and a forward looking state