Gujarat Day: The Untold Story of the Formation of a State

Gujarat Day is a celebration that commemorates the birth of the state of Gujarat. But behind this milestone, there is a history of struggle, violence, and political maneuverings that is often glossed over. This is the untold story of Gujarat's formation.

Gujarat Day; Source: JagranJosh

The formation of Gujarat as an independent state was a domino effect of several tumultuous events. Gujarat, also known as the 'Jewel of Western India', derives its name from the Gujjars, a nomadic community that primarily dealt in agriculture and pasturelands. Over the years, the Gujjars adapted to the times and underwent many changes, becoming part of Indian society in several different caste and class backgrounds. The story of Gujarat's genesis as a state symbolizing the Gujjar Community began before 1947 when the Indian National Congress pledged to introduce states on linguistic lines. However, after attaining independence, the Congress was opposed to this idea as they perceived it to be a threat to the integrity of the nation. As part of the State Reorganization Act of 1956, the new Government combined the areas of Saurashtra, the Kathiawad Peninsula, Kutch, former districts of the Bombay Presidency, as well as parts of Madhya Pradesh and Hyderabad into 'Bombay State', as shown in the picture below. This state was referred to as the "Maha Dwibhashi Rajya", meaning "the great bilingual state". This systemic reorganization of state boundaries took place throughout the country, with several political pacts and committees established in the forthcoming years to protest against the bilingual state, notably the Dhar Commission by the JVP Committee, comprising Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabhai Patel and Pattabhisitaramayya, whose ideas for state reallocation were unsuitable for the formation of new provinces.

The area the Bombay State used to cover in 1947-60; Source: Wikipedia

Through the subsequent years, tensions heightened among the masses and only got worse in 1952 after Potti Sreeramulu fasted to death. His demise acted as a catalyst for the formation of the Telugu-speaking state of Andhra Pradesh. This emboldened and encouraged other states to pressure the Government to put forth their own requests for the formation of state boundaries. This chaos and confusion proceeding the incident at Andhra Pradesh led to the inception of the State Report Commission in 1953. The major point of contention was which state would be allotted to Bombay - would it go to Maharashtra, since it had a majority of Marathi speakers, whose labour was responsible for the formation of the British Bombay Presidency, or the Gujarati who had invested heavily in its development? These two linguistic communities clashed over Bombay, which was a significant point of contention, as it was estimated to be a cultural hub and a growing source of revenue. Another area that was contended was Dang, which eventually went to Gujarat.

There was bloodshed and riots over the matter of state reallocation, which culminated on the 21st of November, 1955, when a group of demonstrators from the Samtyukta Maharashtra Movement, who advocated on behalf of Marathi speakers, were fired upon at Flora Fountain. 106 people died, and to commemorate their loss, the Flora Fountain was renamed 'Hutatma Chowk,' or 'Matyr's Crossroads'. Other incidents occurred, such as the death of five students in August of 1956 who were protesting in front of the Congress Bhavan of Morarji Desai for the formation of a single state and eventually died after police intervention. This incident led to widespread protests, which have been termed the 'Mahagujarat agitation'. Indulal Yagnik formed the Mahagujarat Janata Parishad to guide the Mahagujarat movement, and he and other political figures associated with the movement were imprisoned.

Flora Fountain; Source: Wikipedia

After the tragic events that occurred, a series of negotiations transpired among the political powers from 1956 to 1960. At one point, there was a brief proposal to make Bombay a union territory. The trial for a bilingual state had also failed, and on the 1st of May, 1960, the two unilingual states of Gujarat and Maharashtra were established. As a result, the Mahagujarat Janata Parishad was dissolved. Gujarat came to include mainland Gujarat, as well as the peninsulas of Saurashtra and Kutch. Today, May 1st is celebrated as 'Gujarat Day', with numerous seminars, conferences and cultural programs taking place throughout the state.