Punjabi Suba movement
Topic: Regional Aspirations: J&K, Punjab, the North-East and Accommodation · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 1 "Challenges of Nation Building"; Class 12, Ch 7 "Regional Aspirations"
Meaning
The Punjabi Suba movement was an agitation for a separate Punjabi-speaking state. "Suba" means province or state. The Shiromani Akali Dal led it, first under Master Tara Singh and later under Sant Fateh Singh. Most of India was reorganised by language in the 1950s, but Punjab had to wait until 1966. The movement matters because it shows how a language demand was met inside the Constitution, while leaving disputes that fed later trouble.
Example
The Punjab Reorganisation Act 1966 created Haryana and moved the hill areas to Himachal Pradesh. It made Chandigarh a Union territory and the joint capital of both states. Sikhs became a majority in the smaller Punjab. Chandigarh, some border villages and the sharing of river waters stayed in dispute.
Don't confuse with
- Khalistan movement: the Punjabi Suba movement wanted a state within India, on the basis of language. The Khalistan movement wanted an independent Sikh country and turned to arms in the 1980s.