Telangana Issue: Root Cause

What’s the root cause of Telangana agitation?

What is the process for formation of a new state?
According to Article 3 of the Indian Constitution, Parliament can form a new state by separating a territory from any state, by merging two or more states or parts of states. Parliament can also diminish or increase the area or alter the boundary of any state or even change the name of any state. But first, a Bill on the matter has to be referred by the President to the legislature of whichever state (or states) is affected by the proposed change in area, boundary or name, so that the legislature can express its views on the matter. Thereafter a resolution is tabled before the assembly. After assembly’s nod to the resolution, a Bill creating the new state is tabled and passed in the assembly. Finally, a separate Bill is introduced and passed in Parliament on the recommendation of the President. The Bill is then ratified by the President and hence a new state is formed.
How were states organised after Independence in 1947?
During the British Raj, most of India was divided into 600 princely states which after Independence were given the option to join India or Pakistan. Based on geographical and religious factors, states joined either India or Pakistan. Bhutan chose to become independent and Hyderabad was taken into the Union by sending in the army. States of Mysore, Hyderabad, Bhopal and Bilaspur became independent provinces.
What changes were made when India became a republic?
When the Constitution came into force on January 26, 1950, India became a union of states (earlier called provinces) with extensive autonomy and Union territories administered by the central government. Under the Constitution, there were three kinds of states — 9 Part A states, 8 Part B states and 10 Part C states. Part A states were former governors provinces in British India — Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Bombay, Madhya Pradesh, Madras, Orissa, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. Part B states were the former princely states such as Hyderabad, Saurashtra, Mysore, Travancore-Cochin, Madhya Bharat, Vindhya Pradesh, Patiala & East Punjab States Union and Rajasthan. Part C states included a few princely states as well as former provinces governed by chief commissioners such as Kutch, Himachal Pradesh, Coorg, Manipur, Tripura and so on. Jammu and Kashmir had special status.
How did language become the basis for organizing states?
The movement to create states based on language gained momentum in the early 1950s starting with the demand for a separate state for Telugu-speaking people. A railway employee and Gandhian, Potti Sriramulu, started a fast to press the demand. Nehru chose to ignore Sriramulus fast. On the 56th day of his fast, Sriramulu died and violence erupted. After Sriramulus death, the States Reorganisation Commission was appointed for the creation of states on linguistic lines. On the basis of its report, the States Reorganisation Act of 1956 was passed. Under the Act, which came into effect on November 1, 1956, the distinction between part A, B, and C states was eliminated and state boundaries were reorganized and new states and UTs were created or dissolved. There were 14 states and 7 UTs.
When did the demand for a separate Telangana start?
In 1948, the Nizam was ousted and Hyderabad was formed as a state of India. After the movement for a state on a linguistic basis, Andhra Pradesh was formed by merging the Telangana part of Hyderabad with the then Andhra state, carved out of Madras presidency. Andhra was socially and economically more developed. Supporters of Telangana movement felt the merger would only increase their misery. The first mass scale separate Telangana movement was started by students of Osmania University in 1969.