Some of the demands that have already surfaced are Telangana (Andhra Pradesh), Vidarbha (Maharashtra) and the carving of Uttar Pradesh into four units — Purvanchal, Bundelkhand, Harit Pradesh and so on.

While some of them like Telangana go back several years, the other demands are much more recent. There is, however, a difference between the original redrawing of state borders in 1956 and the more recent demands.

The 1956 States Reorganisation Act, which led to the creation of 14 states and six Union territories, was primarily the outcome of linguistic demands. The carving out of a Telugu-speaking state from the earlier Madras province in 1952 set in motion a slew of similar demands that led to the setting up of the SRC.

At the time, the Congress, and Jawaharlal Nehru in particular, was dead against the formation of linguistic states. In hindsight, however, the carving up of India on the basis of language was perhaps a good idea. It defused regional tensions and ensured the break-up of unwieldy provinces.

The current demands have little to do with linguistic nationalism. They are sometimes spurred by ethnicity, but mainly by perceptions of neglect and the desire for economic autonomy. Telangana is one such example. The movement for a separate Telangana — based on grievances that the region was not getting its share of resources and was less developed than the rest of Andhra — has been going on since the 1960s. (ఇంకా…)