Andhra Pradesh Formation Day: How Potti Sreeramulu's Fast Unto Death Led To Formation Of State

Andhra Pradesh Formation Day is celebrated on November 1 every year to commemorate the day when the state was formed and reflect on the history and journey of the state.

Andhra Pradesh came into being as a result of the States Reorganisation Act of 1956. It was the first to be formed on a linguistic basis. Telugu is the official language of the state, which has a deep-rooted literary tradition in this regional language.

Located on the southeastern coast of India, the state is bounded by Tamil Nadu to the south, Karnataka to the southwest and west, Telangana to the northwest and north, and Odisha to the northeast. Andhra Pradesh is the seventh largest state in the country in terms of area, which spreads up to more than 1.60 lakh kilometres.

Andhra Pradesh Formation Day is celebrated on November 1 every year to commemorate the day when the state was formed and reflect on the history and journey of the state. Andhra Pradesh Formation Day gives people an opportunity to celebrate their cultural heritage and traditions.

How Was Andhra Pradesh Formed?

Andhra Pradesh was formed after Telugu-speaking areas of the erstwhile Madras State were merged with the Telugu-speaking regions of Hyderabad. In 1952, there was a strong movement for a separate Andhra state.

Amid protests, Potti Sreeramulu, a revolutionary, launched a fast unto death on October 19, 1952. Sreeramulu's fast led to a lot of public unrest and the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru assured his support for the creation of Andhra Pradesh. However, there was no formal statement from the government and Sreeramulu continued with his hunger strike. 

Sreeramulu passed away 58 days after he started his protest on December 15, 1952. This triggered widespread rioting and violence in several parts of Andhra, leading to firing by police. A few people were killed during the unrest.

Days later, Nehru eventually announced the government's decision to establish a separate Andhra state, bringing to a halt the wave of violence.

A year later, on October 1, 1953, the Andhra State was formed. Its capital was Kurnool. Later, on November 1, 1956, as per the States Reorganisation Act, Andhra Pradesh was formed by merging this Andhra State with Hyderabad.

Sreeramulu is revered in the Andhra region as 'Amarajeevi' or immortal being for his struggle for the Andhra cause and is also called as the 'founding father' of Andhra Pradesh.

Cultural SIgnificance 

The state is popularly known for its rich cultural traditions, classical dance forms like Kuchipudi, and delectable cuisine.

Andhra Pradesh Formation Day

Andhra Pradesh Formation Day is observed to celebrate the cultural heritage and history of the state. It is an occasion marked with cultural programs, events, and flag-hoisting ceremonies. According to tradition, various government offices and public places traditionally raise the national flag first, then the state flag on Formation Day.

After the formation of Telangana in 2014, Andhra Pradesh Formation Day was not celebrated for the following five years. The then Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP government halted the celebration of Andhra formation day as a mark of protest over the manner in which the bifurcation was carried out.

The state resumed the celebration in 2019 when Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRCP came to power.  

Formation Of Telangana And Shift Of State Capital

The state of Telangana was formed on June 2, 2014, after the passage of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2014 bill in Parliament in February 2014. The state came into being after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.