Question

Explain any two reasons responsible for the establishment of the States Reorganization Commission and highlight the basis on which new states were created.

Hint:

Link the Andhra agitation and other demands for linguistic states with the commission of 1953, and state that language was the main basis.

Answer 1

Step 1: Background:
After independence the states were the old provinces and princely states, and many did not follow language lines.
The question has two parts: two reasons for the commission and the basis of the new states.

Step 2: Reason 1: Agitation for a separate Andhra:
The Telugu speakers demanded a state of their own from the Madras state.
Potti Sriramulu died in December 1952 after a long fast, and the people rose in protest.
The Centre then created Andhra Pradesh in 1953.

Step 3: Reason 2: Demands from other regions:
Other language groups also demanded their own states.
To settle these demands, the Centre set up the States Reorganisation Commission in 1953 under Fazl Ali to look at the boundaries of states.

Step 4: Basis for creating new states:
The commission said that the boundaries of the states should reflect the boundaries of the main languages.
The States Reorganisation Act of 1956 then created 14 states and 6 Union Territories mainly on the basis of language.
The unity and security of the country was also kept in mind.

Final Answer:
Reasons: the Andhra agitation and the demands of other language groups. Basis: language, with care for national unity.