National Integration
Consolidation as a Nation
● ‘.....the biggest task of all is not only the economic development of India as a whole, but even more so the
psychological and emotional integration of the people of India.’ - Nehru, 1957
● In 1950, the Indian Constitution recognized fourteen major languages, besides hundreds others, many of which
were spoken by just a million persons. The 1961 Census listed 1549 languages as mother tongues. The tribals,
constituting over six per cent of the population, are dispersed all over India.
● The differences in language, culture, religion and ethnic were to be seen not as obstacles to be overcome, not
as antithetical to national consolidation, but as positive features that were sources of strength to emerging
nationhood. Consequently, the consolidation of independent India was to occur around the concept of ‘unity in
diversity’
Language
The issue of a national language was resolved when the Constitution-makers virtually accepted all
the major languages as ‘languages of India’ or India’s national languages.
But the matter could not end there, for the country’s official work could not be carried on in so many
languages. There had to be one common language in which the central government would carry
on its work and maintain contact with the state governments.
The question of English and Hindi (Hindustani)
Nehru - wanted the transition to be gradual
Non-Hindi speaking areas wanted English to continue for some more time
Official Language
The Constitution provided that Hindi in Devnagri script with international numerals would be India’s
official language. English was to continue for use in all official purposes till 1965, when it would be
replaced by Hindi. Hindi was to be introduced in a phased manner.
After 1965 it would become the sole official language. However, the parliament would have the
power to provide for the use of English for specific purposes even after 1965.
The Constitution laid upon the government the duty to promote the spread and development of
Hindi and provided for the appointment of a Commission and a Joint Committee of the Parliament
to review the progress in this respect
Sanskritization of Hindi
In 1956, the Report of the Official Language Commission, set up in 1955 in terms of a
constitutional provision, recommended that Hindi should start progressively replacing English in
various functions of the central government with effective change taking place in 1965.
Its two members from West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, Professor Suniti Kumar Chatterjee and P.
Subbaroyan, however, dissented, accusing the members of the Commission of suffering from a
pro-Hindi bias, and asked for the continuation of English.
C. Rajagopalachari, ex- President of the Hindi Pracharini Sabha in the South, declared that ‘Hindi
is as much foreign to the non-Hindi speaking people as English to the protagonists of Hindi.
‘I would have English as an alternate language as long as the people require it, and I would leave
the decision not to the Hindi- knowing people, but to the non-Hindi-knowing people.’ He also told
the people of the South that ‘if they do not want to learn Hindi, let them not learn Hindi.’ Nehru
repeated this assurance in the parliament on 4 September 1959.
Official Languages Act - 1963 - English may be used in addition to Hindi
Lal Bahadur Shastri - Hindi as the sole language, alternate medium in UPSC
Anti Hindi Agitation - 1965
Led by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam - DMK
DMK organized the Madras State Anti-Hindi Conference which gave a call for observing 26
January as a day of mourning. Students, concerned for their careers and apprehensive that they
would be outstripped by Hindi-speakers in the all-India services, were the most active in organizing
a widespread agitation and mobilizing public opinion. They raised and popularized the slogan:
‘Hindi never, English ever.’
Many young people from TN, including four students, burned themselves to death in protest
against the official language policy. Two Tamil ministers, C. Subramaniam and Alagesan, resigned
from the Union Cabinet. The agitation continued for about two months, taking a toll of over sixty
lives through police firings.
Three Language Policy
1967 - Indira Gandhi - amendment to the Official Language Act
English - also as an associate official language
Three language formula
Medium of education
Linguistic Reorganization of States
The constituent assembly appointed in 1948 the Linguistic Provinces Commission, headed by Justice S.K.
Dar, to enquire into the desirability of linguistic provinces. The Dar Commission advised against the step at
the time for it might threaten national unity and also be administratively inconvenient.
Congress appointed a committee (JVP) in December 1948 consisting of Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar
Vallabhai Patel and Pattabhi Sitaramayya, President of the Congress to look into the issue - the report said
that it will affect the unity. However, agreed that wherever the demand was strong , state can be created
On 19 October 1952, a popular freedom fighter, Potti Sriramalu, undertook a fast unto death over
the demand for a separate Andhra and expired after fifty-eight days.
His death was followed by three days of rioting, demonstrations, hartals and violence all over
Andhra. The government immediately gave in and conceded the demand for a separate state of
Andhra, which finally came into existence in October 1953.
August 1953 - States Reorganization Commission (SRC) - Justice Fazl Ali, K.M. Panikkar and
Hridaynath Kunzru
● The States Reorganization Act was passed by parliament in November 1956.
● Fourteen states and six centrally administered territories
● The Telengana area of Hyderabad state was transferred to Andhra
● Kerala was created by merging the Malabar district of the old Madras Presidency with Travancore-Cochin.
● Certain Kannada-speaking areas of the states of Bombay, Madras, Hyderabad and Coorg were added to the
Mysore state. Bombay state was enlarged by merging the states of Kutch and Saurashtra and the
Marathi-speaking areas of Hyderabad with it.
● Resistance from Maharashtra - May 1960 -The government agreed to bifurcate the state of Bombay into
Maharashtra and Gujarat, with Bombay city being included in Maharashtra, and Ahmedabad being made the
capital of Gujarat.
● Punjab - Haryana creation - 1966
