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Amid border dispute with Karnataka, pro-Maharashtra group holds rally
Activists of the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) on Monday held a massive bike rally in Kolhapur town amid the renewed tension over the decades-old border dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka
Activists of the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) on Monday held a massive bike rally in Kolhapur town amid the renewed tension over the decades-old border dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Starting from Belagavi town, the rally moved to the Koganolli state border checkpoint in Nippani town.
Those who addressed the rally at the deputy collector’s office condemned the Karnataka government for treating Maharashtrians as “second grade citizens” and “snatching their rights by not providing them documents in their language”. They alleged that Marathis in Karnataka were being forced to learn Kannada as the language was used in all administrative work.
Leaders of the MES also hit out at the Karnataka government saying that it was the first time they were not allowed to conduct the annual ‘Mahamelava’ event in Belagavi. The event is held every year on the first day of the Karnataka legislative assembly session.
Karnataka Police had refused to give permission to MES for the event scheduled on December 19, citing law and order issues.The outfit had written to the deputy commissioner and police commissioner seeking permission but to no avail.
“Belagavi and other Marathi speaking places in Karnataka must be declared as Union Territory until the dispute is settled in Supreme Court,” one of the MES leaders said at the Monday’s bike rally. Leaders of the Congress, the Shiva Sena (UBT) — former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s faction — as well as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) participated in the rally.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Legislative Assembly last week unanimously passed a resolution on the border dispute with Maharashtra, resolving to protect the state’s interests. The resolution — moved by chief minister Basavaraj Bommai and adopted by a voice vote — condemned the border dispute “created” by Maharashtra.
“There is no compromise on the matters relating to Karnataka’s land, water, language and Kannadiga’s interests. The feelings of Karnataka’s people and members (of assembly) are one on this issue, and if it is affected, we are all committed to unitedly take constitutional and legal measures to protect the interest of the state,” the resolution states.
“Condemning border disputes created by Maharashtra people unnecessarily, this house unanimously passes a resolution that it is committed to protect the interest of the state,” the resolution added.
The border issue dates back to 1957 after the reorganisation of States on linguistic lines. Maharashtra laid claim to Belagavi, which was part of the erstwhile Bombay Presidency, as it has a sizeable Marathi-speaking population. It also laid claim to over 800 Marathi-speaking villages which are currently part of Karnataka.
Karnataka maintains the demarcation done on linguistic lines as per the States Reorganisation Act and the 1967 Mahajan Commission Report as final.
The row intensified over the past month, with protesters from both sides targeting vehicles moving across the border and several rounds of police detention. Union home minister Amit Shah had met CMs of both states and their home ministers on December 14 regarding the dispute and asked both sides to wait for the Supreme Court’s decision in the matter before laying claim to any villages.
