Punjabi Suba

proposed Indian state

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July 13, 2026

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The Punjabi suba was a proposed Indian state, primarily for Punjabi-speaking people. Following India's independence and the partition of Punjab in 1947, Sikhs advocated for a distinct linguistic state. This movement, led by figures like Tara Singh and Sant Fateh Singh, eventually resulted in the reorganization of Punjab. In 1966, the Indian state of Punjab was divided based on language, creating the primarily Punjabi-speaking state of Punjab and the Hindi-speaking state of Haryana. This division aimed to consolidate Punjabi-speaking areas and ensure Sikhs constituted a majority in the new state.12

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Sant Fateh Singh
…were advocating the establishment of Punjabi Suba, a Punjabi-speaking autonomous state in India in which Sikh religious, cultural, and linguistic integrity could be preserved intact.
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…were advocating the establishment of Punjabi Suba, a Punjabi-speaking autonomous state in India in which Sikh religious, cultural, and linguistic integrity could be preserved intact.
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India
Indira Gandhi’s impact
…long-standing Sikh demand of a Punjabi suba (state), which required partition of the existing state of Punjab but left its newly designed capital of Chandigarh as shared administrative headquarters of the new states of Punjab, with a Sikh majority, and Haryana, with a slight Hindu majority.
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…long-standing Sikh demand of a Punjabi suba (state), which required partition of the existing state of Punjab but left its newly designed capital of Chandigarh as shared administrative headquarters of the new states of Punjab, with a Sikh majority, and Haryana, with a slight Hindu majority.
Read More