The formation of Andhra Pradesh in 1956 was a significant event in Indian political history, marking the first state to be created on a linguistic basis. The process leading to its creation was driven by the demands of the Telugu-speaking population within the Madras Presidency for a separate state, culminating in intense political movements. Here are the key events that led to the formation of Andhra Pradesh:

Background

  • After India’s independence in 1947, the country was composed of numerous princely states and former British provinces, many of which had multilingual populations. The Madras Presidency included both Tamil and Telugu speakers, leading to tensions between the two linguistic groups.

The Andhra Movement

  • The demand for a separate Andhra state for Telugu speakers gained momentum after independence. The Telugu-speaking population, led by leaders such as Tanguturi Prakasam and Potti Sriramulu, felt that their linguistic and cultural identity was being overlooked in the predominantly Tamil Madras Presidency.

Potti Sriramulu's Fast

  • The turning point came when Potti Sriramulu, a Gandhian activist, undertook a hunger strike in 1952 demanding the formation of a separate Telugu-speaking state. After fasting for 58 days, Sriramulu passed away on December 15, 1952, leading to widespread protests and demonstrations across the Telugu-speaking regions.
  • His death created a huge public outcry, and massive protests and strikes broke out across the Telugu regions of Madras. This eventually forced the Indian government to take action.

Formation of Andhra State (1953)

  • In response to these protests, the Indian government, under Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, agreed to the creation of a separate Andhra State. The state was carved out of the Madras Presidency on October 1, 1953, with Kurnool as its capital.
  • However, this new state did not include the Telugu-speaking areas of the Hyderabad State, which remained separate.

States Reorganization Commission (SRC) and Merger

  • The demand for further reorganization of states on linguistic lines grew across India. The States Reorganization Commission (SRC) was set up in 1953 to address the demands for linguistic states. The commission recommended the merger of the Telugu-speaking districts of the Hyderabad State (known as Telangana) with the Andhra State to form a larger state.

Formation of Andhra Pradesh (1956)

  • Based on the SRC’s recommendations and after intense negotiations, the State of Andhra Pradesh was officially formed on November 1, 1956, by merging the Andhra State with the Telangana region of Hyderabad State.
  • The capital of the new state was Hyderabad, which had been the capital of the erstwhile princely state of Hyderabad. Hyderabad thus became the seat of the Andhra Pradesh government.

Significance

  • Andhra Pradesh became the first state in independent India to be created on a linguistic basis, setting a precedent for the subsequent reorganization of states in India.
  • The creation of Andhra Pradesh also sparked similar demands from other linguistic groups, leading to the eventual reorganization of states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala, and Karnataka.

Aftermath

  • The integration of Telangana with Andhra created a mix of different political and cultural aspirations. While the state was linguistically unified, tensions remained, leading to the eventual bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014, when Telangana was formed as a separate state.

The formation of Andhra Pradesh in 1956 thus marked a pivotal moment in the linguistic reorganization of Indian states, balancing regional aspirations with national unity.