Punjab, India | 12th June, 2025— In the heart of Punjab’s Amritsar district, the echoes of the Punjabi Suba Movement still resonate deeply among Sikh communities. Despite the peaceful efforts and constitutional promises made to Sikh leaders post-independence, the Indian state responded with suppression and delay, eroding trust that has yet to be fully restored.
Nehru Broke Promises, Ignited Linguistic Frustration
In the early 1950s, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru personally promised Akali leader Master Tara Singh that the government would reorganize states along linguistic lines, recognizing Punjabi among them. However, in 1956, the States Reorganization Act excluded Punjabi while granting recognition and autonomy to Tamil, Telugu, and Bengali speakers. This clear betrayal ignited frustration and unrest among the Sikh population. The Punjabi Suba Movement emerged as a response, aiming to protect linguistic identity and cultural roots, but the central government ignored these goals for political expediency.
The State Suppressed and Misrepresented Sikh Aspirations
During the 1950s and 1960s, the Congress-led central government labeled the Punjabi Suba Movement as a veiled attempt at Sikh separatism. Leaders like Morarji Desai dismissed the Akali Dal’s linguistic demands and framed them as communal. The government manipulated the 1951 and 1961 censuses by pressuring Punjabi-speaking Hindus to register Hindi as their mother tongue. These distortions masked the actual demographic reality and weakened the case for a Punjabi-speaking state. Meanwhile, over 57,000 Sikh volunteers participated in a peaceful civil disobedience campaign in 1960, and the state responded by arresting them en masse.
Also See: Criminalization of Sikh Identity Surges After 2025 Standoff
The Government Delivered a Divided and Weakened Punjabi Suba
In 1966, under pressure from sustained protest, Indira Gandhi approved the creation of Punjabi Suba—but only after extracting a heavy price. The reorganization divided Punjab, carved out Haryana, and handed Punjabi-speaking hill regions to Himachal Pradesh. The government made Chandigarh a Union Territory rather than Punjab’s capital. It also took control of Punjab’s river waters, depriving the state of authority over its natural resources. These decisions fragmented Sikh aspirations and planted seeds of resentment. The state’s betrayal of a peaceful movement laid the groundwork for future tensions, including the rise of the Khalistan movement. Today, the Punjabi Suba Movement remains a stark reminder of India’s unresolved struggles with regional autonomy and minority rights.
