Uttar Pradesh could have been ‘Aryavarta’

Shahira Naim

Tribune News Service

lucknow, January 23

The Yogi Adityanath government has decided to observe January 24 as UP Diwas as the state came into being on that day in 1950. CM Yogi Adityanath responded to Governor Ram Naik’s suggestion on celebrating the day on the lines of Maharashtra Day so that the people know the history and culture of their state.

In 1950, the then Governor- General of India passed the United Provinces (alteration of name) Order 1950, renaming the then United Provinces as Uttar Pradesh. It was published in the Uttar Pradesh Gazette dated 24 January 1950. However, very few know the history of how the name Uttar Pradesh was decided upon. An interesting account of this appears in Gyanesh Kudaisya authored Region, Nation, Heartland: Uttar Pradesh in India’s Body Politic.

The comprehensive account illustrates how seriously the post-Independence leadership in UP considered itself the heartland of the newly independent country. Since 1902, the province had been known as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh; which in 1937 was shortened to United Province or UP. Within days of Independence, the UP legislature began debating a “suitable name”.

Some 20 names emerged but consensus eluded for long. In October 1949, the matter could not be postponed further as drafting of the new Constitution was nearing completion and had to include the names of the provinces.

The matter was placed before the Provincial Congress Committee that met at Banaras in November 1949. An overwhelming majority of 106 members supported a motion in favour or ‘Aryavarta’ while ‘Hind’ received 22 votes. Prominent Congress leader GB Pant conveyed the decision to the Constituent Assembly that shot it down.

CP-Berar member RK Sidhwa feared that United Provinces was anxious to monopolise the name of India. He bluntly charged UP of looking upon itself as the “supermost province of India”.

Finally, Law Minister Dr BR Ambedkar moved a Bill empowering the Governor-General to alter the names of provinces to the Union. Pant promised to refrain from suggesting pompous names like ‘Aryavarta’. Congress members from UP in the Constituent Assembly were asked to work out a compromise on “Uttar Pradesh”, and the rest, as they say, is history.