NOVEMBER 1ST-FORMATION OF ANDHRA PRADESH

It is understood, according to the records and history manuals available, that the Telugu-speaking people known as Andhras were struggling for the formation of a separate independent Andhra province since the period of British, but could not succeed. When India attained Independence on the 15th August 1947, Andhras hoped that their long-cherished desire would be realised soon. Inspite of several renewed efforts put forth by the Andhra leaders before the Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and the Deputy Minister Sardar Vallabhai Patel, the desire for a separate Andhra state remained as a dream itself. A delightful declaration came from the then Prime Minister Nehru on November 27th, 1947 that the government was considering formation of states on linguistic basis. Later, Nehru during his visit to Visakhapatnam stated that a commission was in the offering to examine the possibilities of linguistic states.
DHAR COMMISSION
A COMMISSION HEADED BY THE PRESIDENT OF constitutional Council S K Dhar was formed by the national government on June 17th, 1948. The Dhar Commission submitted its recommendations on December 10th, 1948 furnishing its findings to be in favour of no new state formations, on the basis of language, keeping the country’s integrity and general long-term development.
J V P COMMITTEE
The recommendations of the Dahr commission against the formation of linguistic states created heavy tremors in the country including in the Telugu speaking regions. The Congress party’s national committee received all the feed back from the regional units and felt that there was an emergency need to institute another committee on the issue with Javaharlal Nehru, VallaBhai Patel and Pattabhi Seetha Ramaiah. This committee was called J V P committee with the first letters of the members. The committee in its report submitted to the working committee of the Indian National Congress in April 1949 recommended that the creation of linguistic provinces be postponed by few years. However, it suggested that Andhra province could be formed provide the Andhras gave up their claim to the city of Madras (now Chennai). This report provoked violent reaction in Andhra, as the Telugus were not prepared to forgo their claims to the city of Madras.
Under the prevailing situation, a partition committee was formed under the Chairmanship of Kumara swami Raja, the then Chief Minister of Madras. Tanguturi Prakasam, Bezavada Gopala Reddi, Kala Venkata Rao and Neelam Sanjiva Reddy represented Andhra. The partition committee could not arrive at an agreed settlement. Prakasam disagreed with the views of other members and gave a dissenting note. The Government of India took advantage of the dissenting note of Prakasam and shelved the issue. To express the resentment of the Andhras, Swami Sitaram (Gollapudi Sitarama Sastry), felt that Gandhian policy was the right policy to achieve the state and resorted to indefinite fasting from August 15th, 1951. However, Swami gave up his 35-day fast on the 20th of September 1951 on the appeal made by Vinoba Bhave. Nothing came out of this fast except the increasing distrust of people of Andhra towards their own leaders and the Government of India.
POTTI SRI RAMULU’S FAST UNTO DEATH
Sri Potti Sri Ramulu was born in Madras in 1890. His parents were from Nellore district. Sri Ramulu had his early education in Madras and then higher studies in engineering in Bombay. He worked as an engineer in the Indian Railway. After his wife died in his 25th year, he joined Sabarmati Ashram. Gandhiji admired him for his dedicated and sincere work. In 1946, he went to Nellore and devoted his time to Harijan welfare work and propagation of Khadi and village industries. He undertook three fasts during 1946-48 for the temple entry of Harijans in Nellore.
Sri ramulu began his last fast on 19th October 1952 at Madras for a separate Andhra state and continued his fast until he died on the night of 15th December 1952. This resulted in wide spread disturbance and opened the eyes of Nehru’s Government. Thus Andhra state was formed in October 1953, which catalysed the formation of other linguistic states. On November 1, 1956 Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamilnadu, Karnataka states were formed, followed by Gujarat and Maharashtra in 1960. The formation of linguistic states is the single most important event in the history of South Indian languages, as it provided an opportunity for these languages to develop independently, each of them having a state to support.
Sri Potti Sriramulu has become Amarajeevi (immortal) for Telugus. TODAY, WE ARE CELEBRATING THE ANDHRA PRADESH FORMATION DAY, ONLY BECAUSE OF AMARAJEEVI SRI POTTI SRIRAMULU.

GLORY TO AMARAJEEVI SRI POTTI SRIRAMULU!
GLORY TO TELUGU TALLI!