The making of Maharashtra

While India's struggle for independence ended on August 15, 1947, what lay ahead of a newly formed nation of diverse ethnic, religious and linguistic communities were unique challenges its leaders had to take on, almost simultaneously with the jubilations. The reorganisation of its states was one of them. "And whether or not to divide them linguistically was something that Vallabhbhai Patel and Nehru were torn between," says Dr Anita Rane-Kothare, head, department of Ancient Indian Culture, St Xavier's College.

Dr Anita Rane-Kothare

The Bombay State was then a bilingual one comprising areas of present-day Maharashtra and Gujarat, with Bombay as the capital. When the issue of the linguistic separation of the two regions came up, Bombay became a major bone of contention, with both prospective states demanding the city as their capital. The struggle waged by the people of the region, under the leadership of the Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti (SMM) led to the formation of the state on May 1, 1960.

Hutatma Chowk
The year 1956 brought a tragic turn of events, which also became a watershed moment in the history of the movement. A peaceful demonstration by SMM at Flora Fountain was met with police firing resulting in the death of 106 civilians. One of the repercussions of the incident was the removal of the then Chief Minister of Bombay State, Morarji Desai, with YB Chavan being appointed in his place. After the formation of Maharashtra, a memorial was dedicated to those who lost their lives for the cause and was called Hutatma Chowk or Martyr's Square. The statue stands for the common man's involvement in the struggle, with one figure symbolising the mill worker and the other, the farmer.

Acharya Atre Chowk, Worli

Acharya Atre Chowk
"Mumbai belongs to Maharashtra and it must become Maharashtra's capital. Should the need arise for me to have a debate on this with the almighty, I wouldn't hesitate." When writer, poet, educationist and fiery speaker, Prahlad Keshav Atre, would address a massive gathering with these words, or use his pen to convey these emotions in his newspaper, Maratha, he would galvanise the masses to keep SMM going. Even when he was imprisoned in the Arthur Road Jail, he continued to write his editorial on the movement. Apart from his statue at Worli Naka, a monorail station in Wadala and a Metro station in Mahalaxmi have been named after him.

Prabodhankar Thackeray Chowk, Dadar

Prabodhankar Thackeray Chowk
A social reformer known for the many battles he waged against superstitions and other social evils, Keshav Sitaram Thackeray was one of the founding members of SMM. Better known by his pen name Prabodhankar Thackeray, he is Bal Thackeray's father.

Samyukta Maharashtra Smruti Dalan, Shivaji Park

Belagav Smruti Maidan
Even after Bombay became the capital of Maharashtra, some districts in present-day Karnataka including Belgaum and Dharwar remain a point of contention. With the biggest objective achieved, the movement lost steam, but "there remain people and groups who are still striving for the inclusion of these Marathi-speaking cities and villages in Maharashtra," says Dr Kothare. This garden, dedicated especially to those who fought for these districts, now stands in Wadala, a little over 485 km from Belgaum.

Belagav Karwar Sah Samyukta Maharashtra Sangharsha Smruti Manoranjan Maidan, Wadala

Samyukta Maharashtra Smruti Dalan
If you are driving down Cadell Road, you cannot miss this MCGM museum, dedicated to the participants of the SMM, both commoners and leaders. With the Mayor's Bungalow and Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Swimming Pool as its neighbours, it is spread across three floors. The ground floor features archival photographs, and paintings accompanied by text chronologically laying down a brief history of events that led to the formation of Maharashtra.

A keen observer might find political leanings of a certain kind in some of the text, but the basement somewhat makes up for it with its treasure trove of numerous aesthetically made portraits of leaders of the movement from across the political spectrum, including Prabodhankar Thackeray, Prahlad Keshav Atre and Comrade Shripad Amrit Dange. A dampener on a visit here is that all wall text is in Marathi, with only a slim booklet in English to the rescue. The staff, though, is friendly. Open from 10 am to 6 pm, the museum will be illuminated today and remain open till 9 pm.

SK Patil Udyan, Marine Lines
"A key figure on the other side of the debate, Sadashiv Kanoji Patil was a former Congress leader and veteran freedom fighter who was of the opinion that Bombay be constituted as an autonomous city-state," informs Dr Kothare, referring to Patil's emphasis on the cosmopolitan nature of the city, which he felt couldn't be associated with only Gujarat or Maharashtra. This patch of green next to Marine Lines station is dedicated to Patil, thrice elected Mayor of Bombay, who was also known as "the uncrowned king of Bombay".

1956
The year the Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti demanded the creation of a separate Marathi-speaking state with Bombay as its capital

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