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dated April 4, 1956: Rajaji's caution

Mr. C. Rajagopalachari has made a fervent appeal for a merger of Madras and Travancore-Cochin or for at least maintaining the status quo. He was initiating the debate on the States' Reorganisation Bill in the Madras Legislative Council on April 2. Recalling his warning at the AICC meeting in Hyderabad in 1953 that "we are making a mistake in dividing the country on the basis of language," Mr. Rajagopalachari said that if the present proposals were given effect to he saw "a dark future before a small State of Madras." Mr. M. Bhaktavatsalam, Minister for Agriculture and Leader of the House, moving the Bill for consideration, said that in this country, where different languages were spoken and there had been a federal type of Constitution, there had been this idea since a long time and people in the respective areas had been looking forward to have the States reorganised on linguistic basis. About the suggestion that it might be advantageous if two or three States speaking different languages were reorganised into one State, he said no one need discount such proposals of merger. One proposal was that Travancore-Cochin and the present Madras State should be merged. Even enthusiasts of Tamil language and Tamil State would concede that a merger of T-C with Madras meant nothing more, but the establishment of ancient Tamil Nad which they had heard in Tamil history as having been ruled by the "Moovenders."

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