Maharashtra Day: What does this day signify? 

It is a known fact that Maharashtra Day or ‘Maharashtra Diwas,’ is a public holiday that falls on May 1 to commemorate the creation of the state of Maharashtra. But most people are unaware of the history behind this important date. During India’s independence, several Princely States under British rule merged with India under the Union Government. Eventually, it was decided in the States Reorganisation Act 1956 to define the boundaries of Indian states on the basis of their languages. Following this decision, Bombay State was established in the same year, which constituted major portions of modern-day Maharashtra and Gujarat.  

However, the Sanyukt Maharashtra Samita protested against this decision and led a movement that supported the division of the Bombay State. They demanded that there should be two separate states – one for people who spoke Marathi and Konkani and the other for people who spoke Gujarati and Kutchi. Finally, after a brief movement, the central government, led by India’s first PM Jawaharlal Nehru, decided to bifurcate the Bombay State and created the state of Maharashtra on May 1, 1960. Since then, every May 1 has been celebrated as ‘Maharashtra Day’ in the state.