PEPSU expands to Patiala and Eastern Punjab States Union. Punjab region had both Punjab and several princely States including Patiala and some hill districts like Solan and Nalagarh. After partition the divided East Punjab was still struggling with the aftereffects. Therefore, these princely States were not merged within Punjab.

In 1948, PEPSU was created by merging eight princely States. Patiala was the largest of these. PEPSU had disconnected units and was surrounded by Punjab State on all sides. PEPSU continued to exist till 1956. Thereafter the Punjabi speaking regions were merged with Punjab and some regions were merged with Himachal Pradesh.

Interestingly, PEPSU Road Transport Corporation (again abbreviated to PRTC) is the road transport corporation of Punjab even today. Their website is called pepsuonline.com.

Source: Venkataraghavan Subha Srinivasan. Origin Story of Indian States

Picture Credit: The picture is the old Moti Bagh Palace in Patiala.

Congress had in principle agreed for the creation of linguistic States. Soon after independence, Nehru, Patel and Pattabhi Sittaramaya recommended that consolidation of Indian States was a priority. They suggested that the creation of linguistic States can wait for a few years.

The demand for separation of Telugu speaking areas from the Madras presidency had been going on since 1913. Potti Sriramulu went on a fast in October 1952 to demand a separate Andhra State with Madras (Chennai) as its capital. He died after 58 days of fasting. There were widespread riots after his death. Nehru announced the creation of Andhra within two days of his death.

The first capital of Andhra was Kurnool as the Hyderabad region had not yet been included within Andhra.

Source: Venkataraghavan Subha Srinivasan. Origin Story of Indian States

Picture Credit: The picture is that of the famous Tirupati Temple which is in present day Andhra.

In 1963, the Government of Union Territories of India Act was passed. It created a special status for five union territories, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura Goa and Pondicherry. These UTs will have an elected assembly with a Chief Minister. Gradually the rest of the UTs have been converted to States. Pondicherry continues to remain as a UT with an assembly and Chief Minister.

Delhi, as a national capital, always had a special dispensation and was not covered under this Act.

Interestingly the UT of Pondicherry includes more territories in Tamil Nadu (Karaikal), Andhra Pradesh(Yanam) and Kerala (Mahe).

Source: Government of Union Territories of India Act, 1963

Picture Credit: The picture is of cyclists in Pondicherry, a common and quaint sight. S. R. Ramanujam

Sikkim was a princely State but Britian had left its status ambiguous and it was treated similar to Bhutan. Nehru also noted that Sikkim was an Indian state but different from others. In 1948, Sikkim signed a standstill agreement. It did not sign the Instrument of Accession like other princely States. It signed a Sikkim Treaty in 1950 that made Sikkim a protectorate of India with autonomy in internal affairs.

The population of Sikkim was 75% Nepalese but the King was a Bhutia. This disparity played out for twenty years and there was no universal franchise. Nepalese population continued to agitate for democratic reforms. The King also slowly started developing a preference to be a sovereign State.

In 1973, large scale protests led to the dilution of King’s power. In 1974, elections were held under universal franchise. In 1975, the Sikkim Assembly passed resolutions to abolish the role of the King and to merge Sikkim with India. On April 14 1975, (New Year’s day in many parts of India), a referendum was held. 97% voted to merge with India.

Source: Venkataraghavan Subha Srinivasan. Origin Story of Indian States

Picture Credit: The picture is of Hanuman Tok in Gangtok

Hutatma Chowk celebrates the formation of a unified Maharashtra (Samyukta Maharashtra) including the Bombay city. Flora Fountain, a landmark in Bombay, was renamed Hutatma Chowk in memory of those who died in the struggle. A monument was also added at Flora Fountain.

After States’ Reorganisation in 1956, Bombay province became a bilingual State. This was against the then trend of creating linguistic States. It also ignored the long standing demand for a unified Marathi speaking State. Concurrently, Nehru also announced a proposal to convert Bombay into a union territory. Large demonstrations began and a police firing resulted in killing of more than 80 people.

Over the next four years, the demand for two separate linguistic States grew in strength. In 1960 Gujarat and Maharashtra were created as separate States and Bombay was retained as the capital of Maharashtra.

Source: Thomas Blom Hansen. Violence in Urban India.

Picture Credit: Picture shows the Martyrs monument in the backdrop of Flora fountain.

In 1942, Japanese landed in Port Blair, took British as prisoners and released all prisoners from Cellular Jail. They announced the liberation of Andaman from Britain.

By 1943, the Nataji had formed the provisional Indian Government in Singapore. The Japanese announced that they would hand over Andaman to Indian National Army as a symbol of freedom from British. Netaji landed in Port Blair on December 29, 1943. He symbolically received the keys to Port Blair and hoisted the Azad Hind flag during his visit.

Andaman was only nominally free as it continued to be under the authority of Japanese and also suffered Japanese brutalities. Britain retook the islands in 1945 after the surrender of Japan.

Source: L.P Mathur, Kala Pani.

Picture Credit: Picture is by India Post

UP was earlier called United Provinces. This was considered a colonial name and an alternative was sought. Several names were proposed including Brahmadesh, Uttara Khand and Aryavarta. Some even argued that United Provinces signals the unity of Hindus and Muslims and it should be retained.

In 1949, the cabinet as well as Pradesh congress agreed on the name Aryavarta. However, this received a lot of pushback from other parts of the country. They considered Aryavarta as a larger Indian identity and did not like UP making a claim for it. Finally the name Uttar Pradesh was agreed on.

Source: Venkataraghavan Subha Srinivasan. Origin Story of Indian States

Picture Credit: Wikimedia representation of Aryavarta region encompassing all the Indo-Gangetic plains and above.

Peaceful negotiations with Portugal for the independence of Goa were unsuccessful. By 1955, Portuguese had fortified Goa and had fired on Indians marching into Goa. By September 1961, Operation Chutney was launched by India for naval reconnaissance and surveillance. This provided vital inputs for the army’s liberation of Goa in December 1961 through Operation Vijay.

In 1967, Goa voted in a referendum against a merger with Maharashtra and decided to continue as a union territory. In 1987 it attained full statehood.

Source: Bharat Rakshak, Lt Cdr V.S. Kore

Picture Credit: The picture is Dudhsagar falls in Goa. S. R. Ramanujam

Britain created Assam as an administrative unit from Bengal. Sylhet, a Bengali speaking region, was added to Assam. The identity of Sylhet continued to be debated. Before partition, a referendum was conducted in July 1947. The question was if Sylhet should continue to be part of Assam or merge with Bengal. If it chose Bengal, it would join Pakistan as a part of the divided Bengal.

The Muslim League actively campaigned for merger with Bengal. The Assamese congress leadership also preferred to handover Sylhet as it would make it easier for them to govern the residual Assam. 56% of the voters in the referendum voted for merging with Bengal.

Thus, on partition, Sylhet became part of East Pakistan and is now part of Bangladesh.

Source: Ashafaque Hossain. The making and unmaking of Assam-Bengal borders and the Sylhet referendum.

Picture Credit: The picture is of present day Jaflong in Sylhet. Abdul Momin, Wikimedia Commons

The first King to sign the Instrument of Accession was also the first to be dethroned. Baroda Maharajah Pratap Singh’s administration was mired in financial irregularities. He was accused of taking money out of the treasury and of smuggling away State jewelry to Britain. He later on questioned even the accession of Baroda.

Eventually, in 1951, under Article 366 of the constitution, the President dethroned the Maharajah of Baroda. His eldest son Yuvaraj Fatehsingh was recognised as the ruler of Baroda. Pratap Singh appealed, claiming he was misled by his advisors, but it was turned down.

As India had already become a republic, the effect was only cosmetic. The privy purse of the Maharajah was stopped. His son received a reduced amount as a privy purse.

Source: VP Menon. The Story of the Integration of Indian States

Picture Credit: Picture is that of the Laxmi Vilas Palace of Baroda. S. R. Ramanujam