Telangana Formation Day 2022: 02 June

Today is Telangana’s 8th foundation day. Telangana was carved out of erstwhile unified Andhra Pradesh on June 2, 2014, after a massive people's movement that lasted several decades.  In 2014, it was formed as India’s 29th state but at present, it is the 28th state as Jammu and Kashmir was made UT in 2019.   The Centre will today organise an event in Delhi to celebrate Telangana Formation Day. The event will be organised by the Ministry of Culture at Dr Ambedkar International Centre at 6.00 on Thursday (2nd June). Telangana was officially formed on 2nd June 2014 and the day is celebrated as ‘Telangana Day’ or ‘Telangana Formation Day’.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be the Chief Guest at the program, which will also see attendance of Union Minister for Culture G Kishan Reddy and Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture Meenakashi Lekhi.

This is the first time Centre is celebrating ‘Telangana Day’ or ‘Telangana Formation Day’ to ensure that it is commemorated in a befitting manner.

History

On 1 November 1956, Telangana merged with Andhra Pradesh to form a unified state specifically for the Telugu-speaking people by sculpting that state from erstwhile Madras. In 1969, the Telangana region witnessed a protest for a new state and in 1972, a distinct Andhra Pradesh was formed. Various social organisations, student unions, and government employees all played important roles in the 1969 agitation. After nearly 40 years of protests, the Telangana Bill was passed by the Congress Working Committee and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Lok Sabha in February 2014. The bill was introduced in the Indian Parliament in 2014 and the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act received its approval the same year. According to the bill, Telangana will be constituted by ten districts in north-western Andhra Pradesh.

Significance

The formation of Telangana signifies the victory of the Telangana movement. It commemorates the official separation of Telangana from the state of Andhra Pradesh. On 2 June 2014, a 57-year-old movement came to an end, realising the hopes of the Telangana people. The movement not only provided the people of the region with a separate identity, but also created a change in India's map, which now shows the state's boundaries. Every year on Statehood Day, the Prime Minister and President of India, as well as political leaders from all across the country, send wishes to the people of Telangana.