Page:White Paper on Indian States (1950).pdf/68

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

58

the 19th century defied geography and most of them linguistically, ethnically and in other important respects, did not constitute self-contained natural units. The Rulers of Rewa, Indore, Gwalior and Patiala were the first to appreciate the imperative geographical and administrative considerations which operated against the continuance of their States as separate administrative units. Once these important States decided to pool their lot with their neighbours, the demand for subordinating local loyalties to the need of the re-alignment of States on more rational and natural basis became more insistent. The integration of other similarly placed major States followed as a necessary corollary. The Ruler of Mewar who had, in the first instance, declined to join the first Rajasthan Union now agreed to the integration of his State. The remaining Rajputana States followed suit as a direct consequence of the integration of the historic State of Mewar. Once the idea of a union of Rajasthan States with Mewar as its integral part took a concrete form, political and economic considerations, no less than the sentiments of the people, were, factors which could not be ignored by the rest of the Rajputana States. In the context of these developments, the States of Baroda, Kolhapur and Travancore could not stand by themselves. Inevitably, therefore, with the integration of some of the major States, the horizon of the people widened and a number of States, which had been recognised as viable units, were also affected by the process of integration.

Progress made by the Three-Fold Integration of States

147. As a result of the application of the various merger and integration schemes,

(a) 216 States covering an ares of 108,739 square miles with a population of 19.158 millions have been merged in Provinces.

(b) 61 States covering an area of 63,704 square miles with a population of 6.925 millions have been taken over as Centrally-administered areas.

(c) 275 States covering an area of 215,450 square miles with a population of 34.7 millions have been integrated in the Unions of States.

This brings the total number of States affected by integration schemes to 552 covering an area of 387,893 square miles with a population of 60.783 millions. A consolidated statement showing the area and population of the States which have been either merged in Provinces or constituted into Centrally-administered areas or combined to form new Unions of States is appended. (Appendix XLIII).