PUNJABI SUBA MOVEMENT

After Independence, the Punjabis expected Punjabi, mother tongue of all Punjabis, to replace Urdu as the official language and medium of education in schools. Even a resolution of the Central Government published in the Gazette of India dated 14 August 1948 declaring that the principle that a child should be instructed in the early stage of his education through the medium of his mother tongue has been accepted by the government did not induce the Congress government of East Punjab to declare Punjabi as the medium of instruction. On the contrary, the majority Hindu community went so far as to disclaim Punjabi as their mother tongue. At the Centre too the Constituent Assembly rescinded its own resolution of August 1947 and declared on 26 May 1949 that statutory reservation of seats for religious minorities should be abolished.” The leaders of the Shiromani Akali Dal finally veered round to the view that, in the absence of constitutional guarantees to safeguard rights of the minorities, the only way out for the Sikhs was to strive for an area where they would

be numerous enough to protect and develop their language and culture.

       Shiromani Akali Dal therefore decided to press for the formation of a linguistic state coterminous with Punjabi language. Master Tara Singh reactivated the Shiromani Akali Dal and launched the campaign which came to be known as the Punjabi Suba movement. In a signed article published in the Punjabi monthly Sant Sipahi, December 1949, he said that whatever the name that might be given it, the Sikhs wanted an area where they were free from the domination of the majority community-an area within the Indian constitution but having internal autonomy as did Kashmir.

       Two successive half-way measures, Sachar Formula and the Regional Formula, devised by Congress and Sikh leaders by mutual counsel, failed to resolve the linguistic and political issue. The Akali leader, Master Tara Singh, once again gave the call for a Punjabi Suba in October 1958. The Sikh masses responded enthusiastically. The government initiated negotiations which culminated in what is known as the Nehru-Tara Singh Pact of April 1959. The truce did not last long.

Under these circumstances, Master Tara Singh started an agitation on Punjab Suba issue on May 29, 1960. The Akali Dal decided to intensify the agitation through passive resistance on massive scale. A call was sent forth to the rural areas that Panth is in danger and unless Punjabi Suba was secured there would be no security or protection for the community. The Akali workers were able to generate considerable enthusiasm in the rural area through this agitation and proclaimed, a fight to finish and that until Punjabi Suba was achieved, there would neither a compromise nor talks for the compromise. The volunteers flocked for courting arrest. According to reliable estimates, nearly 57,000 volunteers courted arrest. The Government of India did not relent and did not grant the Punjabis their legitimate rights of their own state.

        Subsequently, Marter Tara Singh undertook a fast unto death in support of his demand for Punjabi Suba but had to give it up because of his deteriorating health. It was at this time another leader on the forefront of Akali politics. He changed the entire concept of the demand Sant Fateh Singh emerged for Punjabi Suba radically. He presented his demand based on linguistic consideration alone, bringing it in line with the country goal of democracy and secularism. For Sant Fateh Singh, the territory or size of the Punjabi speaking state or the proportion of the Hindu and Sikh population was not the relevant issue. His criterion of the new State was the creation of a unit comprising the Punjabi speaking area, with Punjabi as its official language.

       The movement for Punjabi Suba continued unabated under the leadership of Sant Fateh Singh which ultimately compelled the government of India to agree to redraw the boundaries of Punjab and the Punjab re-organization Bill was introduced in the Parliament on September 3, 1966. Punjab was consequently divided into two states- Punjab and Haryana and the Hill district were merged with Himachal Pradesh. As a consequence of the settlement, the new Punjab had 41% of the earlier area and 55% of the population with Sikhs having 60.72% (according to 1971 census) of the population. With the emergence of a new state of Punjab, the dream of the Akali leaders for separate Punjabi majority state was ultimately realized after a long period of struggle and sacrifices.

       Sant Fateh Singh declared that the Shiromani Akali Dal would not be dissolved and it would continue to protect the rights and privileges of the Sikhs and Punjabis and that it would work for the implementation of its economic programme.