Question

Nehru's reluctance to re-organise states on the linquistic basis had the support of which of the following?

(A) Mahatma Gandhi

(B) Vallabhbhai Patel

(C) E.M.S. Namboodaripad

(D) C. Rajagopalachari

Choose the most appropriate answer form the options given below:

1. (A) and (B) only
2. (A) and (C) only
3. (A), (B) and (C) only
4. (B) and (D) only

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 4 : (B) and (D) only

• The call for a linguistic division of states is an old one as is evident from the British carving out a state for Oriya speakers in 1936 – Orissa, from the states of Bihar and Bengal.
• The government finally formed a commission in 1948 under Justice SK Dhar, an Allahabad High Court judge, to address the need for linguistic division of states. However, the committee did not agree wiंth this basis for the re-structuring of states, and would rather do so for administrative convenience.
• Thus, in December 1948, Congressmen Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabhbhai Patel, E.M.S. Namboodaripad and Pattabhi Sitaramayya formed the JVP Committee to address the issue, but dismissed the idea in April 1949, as they believed linguistic states would only weaken the unity of a new nation.
• The States Reorganisation Commission was constituted by the Union government in 1953 to recommend reorganisation of state boundaries. 
• In 1955, after nearly two years of study, the Commission recommended that India's state boundaries should be reorganised to form 16 states and three Union Territories.​
• In December 1953, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru appointed the States Reorganisation Commission to reorganise the Indian states. It was headed by the retired Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Fazal Ali.