The city of Chandigarh has once again captured national attention, not merely due to recent political controversies but because the Central government's actions regarding the stalled Chandigarh Reorganisation Bill and the withdrawn Panjab University overhaul proposal have reopened old wounds. These sudden policy shifts reveal a persistent issue: critical decisions about Chandigarh's future continue to be made without proper acknowledgment of the city's complex constitutional and linguistic history.
The Linguistic Foundations of Division
The roots of the current dispute trace back to October 1956, when Home Minister Govind Ballabh Pant convened a crucial conference to address growing resistance to the State Reorganisation Commission's recommendations and the escalating demand for a Punjabi-speaking state. A committee led by the Punjab Chief Minister proposed dividing Punjab into separate Punjabi and Hindi regions, primarily following district boundaries with few exceptions.
Jind and Narwana tehsils were placed in the Hindi region, while Ropar and Kharar were officially identified as Punjabi-speaking areas. The Constitution (Seventh Amendment) Act of 1956 enabled the creation of regional committees for these linguistic zones, and Punjab formally notified this division on July 4, 1957.
Governor C P N Thakur explicitly reaffirmed in the State Assembly that Ropar and Kharar were Punjabi-speaking territories. However, when the Boundary Commission under Justice J C Shah redrew the map in 1965 and 1966, it allocated the entire Kharar tehsil to Haryana using what many considered the flawed 1951 census data.
Political Turbulence and Reorganization
The Official Language Act of 1960 formalized Punjabi as the official language in the Punjabi region and Hindi in the Hindi region, but weak implementation sparked significant unrest. Nearly 50,000 people were arrested during the 1960 Punjabi language agitation, demonstrating the emotional intensity surrounding linguistic rights.
By 1965, the Punjabi Suba movement had regained substantial momentum, compelling the Union Home Minister to promise a cooperative settlement. The dramatic reorganization came on November 1, 1966, when Punjab—already fragmented by Partition—underwent further division. Haryana became a separate state, while Shimla and Kangra were transferred to Himachal Pradesh.
Most significantly, Punjab lost its capital city overnight. Chandigarh, along with 22 surrounding villages, was carved out of Punjab and designated a Union Territory under direct Central administration. This trifurcation created an immediate sense of loss throughout Punjab.
Broken Promises and Failed Settlements
Justice Gurdev Singh Dutt, a member of the Boundary Commission, registered his dissent, insisting that Chandigarh rightfully belonged to Punjab. Widespread protests followed, with Sant Fateh Singh preparing for self-immolation until Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, through Speaker Hukam Singh, assured him that Chandigarh would be restored to Punjab.
The emotional intensity of the demand was further demonstrated by Sardar Pheruman's death following a hunger strike. In 1971 and 1972, Indira Gandhi publicly announced that Chandigarh would be given to Punjab, with Fazilka and Abohar going to Haryana as compensation. She reiterated this commitment on June 2, 1984, during her broadcast on the eve of Operation Bluestar.
Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi attempted to resolve the dispute through the 1985 Punjab Accord with Sant Harchand Singh Longowal. Article 7.1 clearly stated that the Chandigarh Capital Project Area would be transferred to Punjab, with adjoining areas reverting to their appropriate linguistic regions. The transfer was scheduled for January 26, 1986, but intense opposition in Haryana led by Devi Lal ultimately derailed the agreement.
Commission Failures and Continuing Stalemate
Article 7.2 of the Accord required identifying Hindi-speaking areas in Punjab that could be transferred to Haryana as compensation. Three separate commissions examined this issue but failed to find workable solutions.
The Mathew Commission identified 83 Hindi-speaking villages in the Fazilka and Abohar belt but ruled out their transfer because the Punjabi village Khandu Khera lay between them, breaking territorial contiguity.
The Venkatachaliah Commission moved beyond purely linguistic criteria, floated a twin-city concept, and recommended transferring 70,000 acres of Punjab land to Haryana. The subsequent Desai Commission was rejected by Punjab after previous failures demonstrated that no distinct Hindi-speaking pockets existed within the state.
The fundamental reality remains that there are no clearly demarcated Hindi-speaking villages within Punjab today. Punjabi serves as the mother tongue across communities throughout the region.
The Unresolved Legacy
Chandigarh stands on Punjab's soil and was originally constructed as its capital city. Refugees from West Punjab who settled in the area still speak some of the purest forms of Punjabi. By every measure—linguistic, historical, cultural, socio-economic, legal, and political—Chandigarh belongs to Punjab.
Justice requires that the long-standing commitment to transfer Chandigarh be honored, finally resolving a dispute that has lingered for generations and continues to shape regional politics and identity in northern India.
