Question

When was Punjab divided into states of Haryana and Punjab?
A) 1 October 1965
B) 2 October 1966
C) 1 November 1966
D) 1 December 1965

Answer 1

Hint: The princely states of Patiala, Nabha, Jind, Kapurthala, Malerkotla, Faridkot, and Kalsia were combined into a new state, the Patiala and East Punjab States Union, in 1950. Punjab included the former Raj province of Punjab, while the princely states of Patiala, Nabha, Jind, Kapurthala, Malerkotla, Faridkot, and Kalsia were combined into a new state, the Patiala (PEPSU).

Complete answer:
Punjab divided into two states -Punjab was divided into the mostly Hindi-speaking state of Haryana and the new, primarily Punjabi-speaking state of Punjab on November 1, 1966; in the meantime, the northernmost districts were transferred to Himachal Pradesh, and the newly constructed city of Chandigarh and its immediate surroundings became a separate union territory. The city of Chandigarh was preserved as the joint administrative headquarters, or capital, of both Haryana and Punjab, despite the fact that it was not a part of either state.

Why Punjab was divided –
Sikh agitation for a separate Punjabi-speaking state, spearheaded by Tara Singh and later by his political successor, Sant Fateh Singh, dominated the history of the Indian Punjab after independence.
Following widespread religious violence in 1947, British India's Punjab Province was partitioned into West Punjab and East Punjab based on religious lines. West Punjab was annexed by Muslim-majority Pakistan, whereas East Punjab was annexed by Hindu-majority India.

So, Punjab was partitioned into Haryana and Punjab on November 1, 1966. Chandigarh, which also serves as the capital of Haryana and is thus managed independently as a Union Territory of India, is the capital of Punjab. The division was made on the basis of language. The Punjab Reorganization Act of 1966 dealt with the partition issues.

Therefore, Punjab was divided into states of Haryana and Punjab on 1 November 1966. So, option (C) is the correct.

Note:
- The predominantly Muslim western sections of the old Punjab became Pakistan's West Punjab, which was later renamed Punjab Province, while the predominantly Hindu and Sikh eastern sections were given to India. Punjab is divided into 23 districts.
- Banda Singh Bahadur, a hermit who became a military leader and, with his fighting band of Sikhs, temporarily liberated the eastern half of the province from Mughal authority in 1709–10, set the foundations of today's Punjab.