ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the way in which Bombay state was reorganised after the independence of India and what influence this process had on the social and political situation of Bombay city. Although the Indian government conducted a large-scale reorganisation of states based on linguistic differences in 1956, it was not until 1960 that Bombay state was divided into Maharashtra and Gujarat. This was mainly because there were conflicting opinions on the position of Bombay city, namely whether it should be included in the linguistic state of Maharashtra, if the state were to be created. While there had been a demand among the Marathi-speaking elite for the creation of Maharashtra with Bombay as its capital,1 there was strong opposition to this idea, mainly among the Gujaratispeaking elite in and outside the city. They argued that Bombay was a multilingual city and was connected historically, economically and socially not only with Marathi-speaking areas but also with Gujarati-speaking ones. While repeatedly rejecting the idea of including Bombay in Maharashtra, the Indian government suggested alternative solutions, which caused serious disturbances. This chapter will examine in detail various ideas of the city presented in this process by different groups of people, and show how the notion of Bombay as a city for Marathi speakers increased its influence in the late 1950s. This development not only led to the birth of Maharashtra in its present form, but also made an important impact on Bombay politics after 1960. By examining this process from the perspectives of different communities and groups, in particular those who were opposed to the inclusion of Bombay into Maharashtra, this chapter tries to understand the implications that the formation of linguistic states had for a large city like Bombay, which was bound to be multilingual and cosmopolitan and continued to be so even after it became part of a linguistic state.
