From 50 Years Ago: Ending an Unholy Union.

The atmosphere of cordiality, understand-ing and mutual consideration under which the break up of Bombay State into Gujerat and Maharashtra is being discussed and negotiated has hardly a parallel in the history of any country. States in a federal constitution do not have the attributes which the term normally connotes, but even administrative reorganisation with the profound changes it necessarily implies for large groups of people affecting their politi-cal, cultural and economic interests, is a matter of vital concern. Such changes, influencing the lives of so many people, so very deeply, are difficult to carry out with-out creating tensions and conflicts. The orderly manner in which the vast admini-strative reorganisation of Bombay State, which is under way, is being carried out, therefore, shows political wisdom of a rare sort. It also brings out superlatively the excellence of judgment, high order of political skill and great finesse of the Chief Minister of the State, Shri Yeshwantrao B Chavan... The assignment he undertook was an im-possible one, running the newly formed bi-lingual State which had its birth in a blood-bath, an outbreak of violence and rioting and shooting down of people in the streets of Bombay, and this he did as the leader of a party whose popularity and hold over the people had suffered an eclipse. Maharashtra was up in arms against the basic concept of the bilingual State and so was Gujerat. With the same skill, understanding and finesse with which he has run this unwanted bilin-gual State, he has successfully manoeuvred its dissolution.