Maharashtra day is also known as Maharashtra Diwas and it is celebrated to commemorate the formation of the state when it was divided from Bombay on May 1, 1960. After the division took place, Maharashtra was formed comprising of areas where Marathi and Konkani speaking people reside.
Whereas in Gujarat it was dominated by Gujarati and Kutchi speaking people. It was divided into Maharashtra and Gujarat on the account of different languages spoken.
Maharashtra Day 2019
The state of Maharashtra was formed on May 1, 1960, under the Bombay Reorganisation Act 1960 which was enacted by the Parliament on April 25, 1960. Every year on May 1, Maharashtra Diwas is celebrated. It is a public holiday in government offices, educational institutes. It is also a dry day in the state.
The governor of Maharashtra presides over a parade and addresses a large gathering at Shivaji Park in Dadar to commemorate the formation of the day. On the same day, several annual celebrations of state’s institutions are also held on the same day.
Maharashtra Day history and significance
The country’s first prime minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel were strongly against the idea of forming states on linguistic lines. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its chief Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar had also backed Nehru and Patel on their stand. Agitations continued and tensions flared up on 21 November 1955 when demonstrators were fired upon by the police at Flora Fountain in the capital city of Mumbai.
The agitation led to a political disturbance in the state. When the general elections were held in 1957, the Sanyukta Maharashtra Samiti defeated the stalwarts of Congress by securing 101 seats out of 133, including 12 from Mumbai. The Congress party could form a government only with the support of Gujarat, Marathwada, and Vidharba. Finally, on May 1, 1960, the Bombay State was partitioned into the Marathi-speaking State of Maharashtra and the Gujarati-speaking State of Gujarat.
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