Historical Aspects for the emergence of Haryana as a State

The origin of the demand of Haryana State can be visualised in its historical perspective. Due to emotional participation in the Ist war of Independence by the Haryanvis, a spirit of vengeance was smouldering in the hearts of the British rulers. Hence Haryana region was tagged with the Punjab in 1858 as a political punishment to the people of this region. “Of course, it was their political isolation but they were still more related socially and culturally to the people of Delhi and the Western U.P.1”. They had lost political boundaries but they maintained the cultural ties of Roti and Beti. Perhaps, it was due to the repressive policy of the British Government that no significant development was made in the region in the sphere of education, trades, industry,means of communication and irrigation .Consequently it remained backward socially,educationally, economically and politically throughout the 19th century. With the change of capital from Calcutta to Delhi on December 12,1911, the Haryana region was further isolated. In 1920, certain changes in Delhi district were suggested. The Muslim League also suggested the extention of the boundaries of Delhi with the inclusion of Agra, Meerut and Ambala Division in it. A similar demand was made to Sir.J.P. Thomson,the Commissioner of Delhi by the people.

In 1928, all parties conference at Delhi again made a demand for extention of the boundaries of Delhi. Some prominent leaders of Haryana like Pt. Neki Ram Sharma,Lala Desbandhu Gupta and Sri Ram Sharma met Gandhi ji and requested him that the districts of Haryana region be merged with Delhi. In 1931, at the Second Round Table Conference, Sir Geoffrey Corbert, Financial Commissioner of the then Punjab Government and Secretary of the Indian Delegation to the Round Table Conference,suggested the reorganisation of the Punjab boundaries and the separation of the Ambala Division from Punjab. He argued, “historically Ambala Division was a part of the then Hindustan and its inclusion in the province of the then Punjab was an incident of British rule.”

Evolution of Haryana as a separate State post independence:

• The area included in the present state of Haryana was ceded to the British East India Company in 1803.
• In 1832 it was transferred to the then North-Western Provinces of British India, and in 1858 Haryana became a part of Punjab.
• Due to the repressive policy of the British Government, no significant development was made in the region in the sphere of education, trades, industry, means of communication and irrigation. Consequently it remained backward throughout the 19th century.
• The union between Haryana and Punjab was awkward, largely because of religious and linguistic differences between the two regions: Punjabi-speaking Sikhs of Punjab vis-à-vis Hindi-speaking Hindus of Haryana.
• With the change of capital from Calcutta to Delhi on December 12,1911, the Haryana region was further isolated.
• In 1920’s, certain changes in Delhi district were suggested by the Muslim League and people of the region to Sir J.P. Thomson, the Commissioner of Delhi.
• In 1928, all parties conference at Delhi again made a demand for extension of the boundaries of Delhi.
• Further, the agitation for a separate state of Haryana was led by Lala Lajpat Rai and Asaf Ali, both prominent figures in the Indian national movement, as well as by Neki Ram Sharma, who headed a committee to cultivate the concept of an autonomous state.
• At the Second Round Table Conference in 1931, Sir Geoffrey Corbert, Financial Commissioner of the then Punjab Government and Secretary of the Indian Delegation to the Round Table Conference,suggested the reorganisation of the Punjab boundaries and the separation of the Ambala Division from Punjab.
• In 1932, Deshbandhu Gupta stated that "Hindi speaking region had never been a part of Punjab. It was essential for the development of this region to separate it from Punjab and form a new State by uniting with it certain adjoining parts of Delhi,Rajasthan and of the U.P.
• The demand of the creation of the Greater Delhi or Vishal Haryana was actively supported by several leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Moti Lal Nehru, Asaf Ali, Sir Chhotu Ram and Pt. Thakur Dass Bhargava.
• Haryana remained part of Punjab after the independence in 1947, but the demand for separate states—supported by both Hindus and Sikhs—continued, undiminished. Indeed, the movement gained momentum, reaching its fullest intensity in the early 1960s.
• Finally, with the passage of the Punjab Reorganization Act (and in accordance with the earlier recommendations of the States Reorganization Commission), Haryana was separated from Punjab in 1966 to become the 17th state of India on the recommendation of the Sardar Hukam Singh Parliamentary Committee.
• The formation of this committee was announced in the Parliament on 23 September 1965. On 23 April, 1966, acting on the recommendation of the Hukam Singh Committee, the Indian government set up the Shah Commission under the chairmanship of Justice J. C. Shah, to divide and set up the boundaries of Punjab and Haryana giving consideration to the language spoken by the people.
• The commission gave its report on 31 May, 1966. According to this report the then districts of Hisar, Mahendragarh, Gurgaon, Rohtak, and Karnal were to be a part of the new state of Haryana. Further, the Tehsils of Jind (district Sangrur), Narwana (district Sangrur), Naraingarh, Ambala and Jagadhri were also to be included.
• The city of Chandigarh, and a Punjabi speaking area of district Rupnagar were made a union territory serving as the capital of both Punjab a nd Haryana.
• According to the Rajiv-Longowal Accord, Chandigarh was to be transferred to the state of Punjab in 1986, but the transfer was delayed and it has not been executed so far.