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Linguistic States: A 20th-Century TimelineDec 1903: Linguistic principle for organising Indias provinces figures for first time in Sir Herbert Risley's letter to the Bengal government. Sir Herbert is home secretary at this point.1905: Partition of Bengal takes place1917: Dr Annie Besant strongly opposes linguistic organisation of provinces at the Calcutta session1920: Congress adopts linguistic redistribution of provinces at the Nagpur session1927: Congress adopts a resolution supporting creation of linguistic states1928: Motilal Nehru Committee supports redistribution along linguistic lines1945-46: Congress election manifesto promises provinces will be constituted on linguistic and cultural linesNov 1947: Prime Minister Nehru concedes the linguistic principle, but says security and stability of India important1948: Linguistic provinces commission set upAug-Sept, 1951: G. Sitaramaiah fasts for creation of Andhra stateDec 15, 1952: Potti Sriramulu dies while fasting for the creation of Andhra. The state is carved out of Madras Presidency only a year later.Dec 1953: States Reorganisation Commission (SRC) is set up1955: Nehru sends S.G. Barve to the former USSR for understanding the language policy as a state reconstruction programmeJul 1955: SRC report submitted14 states and 9 union territories recommended.Aug 1956: SRC recommendations implemented1960: Gujarat and Maharashtra come into being1960-61: Sant Fateh Singh and Master Tara Singh undertake fast unto death for the creation of a Punjab state1963-64: Language riots in Tamil Nadu1963: Nagaland takes shape1966: Haryana and Punjab created 1970-80: Other Northeastern states carved out1992: Goa created2000: Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand emerge as independent entities.