Bengal-Bihar Merger Movement of 1956: A Glance of West Dinajpur, A District of West Bengal

Abstract

The proposed study is on Bengal-Bihar merger movement of 1956, and the district of West Dinajpur of West Bengal. In the eve of independence of India and partition of Bengal in 1947, the northern part of West Bengal or North Bengal was separated from the rest of West Bengal. Along with this, there was demand of incorporation of Bengali speaking area of Bihar with West Bengal. In 1953, the States Reorganisation Commission was formed to examine this issue on linguistic line. After forming that Commission, West Bengal put forwarded memorandum, claiming partition of land of Bihar. But there was protest in Bihar against that. Then the Chief Minister of West Bengal and Bihar decided to merge Bengal and Bihar. But movement started against this merger proposal. Then they withdraw the merger proposal and a portion of land of Bihar added within West Bengal by the recommendation of States Reorganisation Commission, which effects on demography, economy, culture of that area of West Dinajpur district of West Bengal and which evoked separatist trend in form of political movements.