Haryana Day, 2024 | 05 Nov 2024
Why in News?
Haryana Day, celebrated on 1st November each year, commemorates the state's establishment in 1966, when it was carved from Punjab.
Key Points
- Background:
- Linguistic and Cultural Identity: Haryana, culturally and linguistically distinct, sought autonomy from Punjab post-independence.
- Demand for Statehood: Key leaders advocated for a Hindi-speaking state, emphasizing Haryana's cultural and linguistic uniqueness.
- Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966: Enacted by the Indian Parliament, this was crucial in creating the states of Haryana and Punjab, as well as the Union Territory of Chandigarh.
- Shah Commission (1966): Formed under Justice JC Shah, it recommended specific boundaries based on linguistic demographics.
- Recommendation: Allocated regions to Haryana, including districts like Hisar and Gurgaon, aligning with the Hindi-speaking population.
- Important Personalities:
- Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma: Haryana's first Chief Minister, he was a prominent advocate for statehood.
- Justice JC Shah: Chaired the Shah Commission, crucial in delineating Haryana’s boundaries.
Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966
- The Punjab Reorganisation Act,1966 separated parts of the state of Punjab to form new states and a union territory.
- Haryana a new state was formed from the Hindi-speaking areas of the state, including the districts of Hissar, Rohtak, Gurgaon, Karnal, and Mahendragarh.
- Himachal Pradesh the mountainous regions of Punjab were merged with Himachal Pradesh, which was then a union territory. Himachal Pradesh became a state in 1971.
- Chandigarh the capital of Punjab, Chandigarh, was made a union territory to serve as the provisional capital of both Punjab and Haryana.
- The Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966 was passed by the Indian Parliament on 18th September, 1966. It was the result of the Punjabi Suba movement, which sought to create a Punjabi-speaking state.