Punjabi Suba Day: the formation of Punjab state on 1 November 1966

Punjabi Suba Day marks 1 November 1966, when the state of Punjab was reorganised on the basis of language, creating a Punjabi-speaking state. It was the result of the Punjabi Suba movement, one of the longest political campaigns in the history of the state, in which Sikhs played the leading part.

States by language

After independence, India began to redraw its states along the lines of language, and in 1956 many new linguistic states were formed. The demand for a Punjabi-speaking state, where Punjabi in the Gurmukhi script would be the language of government and schooling, was set aside. The Shiromani Akali Dal, under Master Tara Singh and later Sant Fateh Singh, led the campaign for it.

The movement

Through the 1950s and 1960s, tens of thousands of volunteers courted arrest in morchas, and in 1955 police entered the complex of Sri Harmandir Sahib to arrest protesters. Leaders went on fasts unto death. After the war of 1965, in which Punjab and its soldiers bore much of the burden, the central government agreed to reorganise the state.

The reorganisation of 1966

On 1 November 1966 the old Punjab was divided: the Hindi-speaking south became Haryana, the hill districts went to Himachal Pradesh, and Chandigarh, the capital, was made a union territory shared by Punjab and Haryana. The questions of Chandigarh, of Punjabi-speaking areas left outside the state, and of river waters remained unsettled, and came back in the demands of later years.

How the day is observed

The day is marked with events celebrating Punjabi language and culture, and in some gurdwaras with Ardas for those who took part in the movement.