1. After Independence, the boundaries of several old States of India were changed in order to create new States, so that the people who spoke the same language lived in the same State. 2. Some States were created not on the basis of language but to recognise differences based on culture, ethnicity or geography - Nagaland, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh are examples. 3. When the demand for the creation of linguistic States was raised, some national leaders feared that it would lead to the disintegration of the country; hence the demand was initially resisted, and Andhra Pradesh was created in 1953 only after a long agitation. 4. But the experience has shown that the formation of linguistic States has actually made the country more united and has also made administration easier, because people are governed in a language they understand. 5. This was a major test because the country had to accommodate its enormous diversity soon after Partition; by accepting the demand democratically instead of suppressing it, India proved that democratic politics can handle regional and linguistic diversity. 6. Today India has 28 States, and respect for diversity has become an accepted principle of Indian federalism.