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Karnataka: Security stepped up ahead of MES protest in Belagavi
MES has planned a bike rally from Chatrapati Shivaji Garden to Maratha Mandir, culminating in a public meeting in the southern part of Belagavi on November 1
Belagavi district administration has stepped up security after the Maharashtra government announced that it would send a representative to participate in the “black day” programme in the district on Karnataka Rajyostava Day scheduled for November 1.
During his visit to Kaneri Mutt in Kolhapur on Sunday, Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde said that one of his cabinet members would take part in the “black day” programmes to be organised by the pro-Maharashtrian organisation, Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES). “Marathas in Karnataka, primarily in Belagavi, have been struggling since their land was included in Karnataka. We stand in support of them, and I will send a minister to participate in the “Black Day” activities,” Shinde said.
Karnataka has imposed a ban on the entry of people and leaders into Belagavi district from October 31 to November 2 to maintain order during the MES programmes. “Entrances to the district from Maharashtra would be blocked and strict security measures would be in place to prevent untoward incidents,” said Nitesh Patil, the deputy commissioner and district magistrate of Belagavi.
“As the state intelligence wing reported about the possibility of leaders’ entry into Belagavi on the day prior to Rajyostava, the police department has blocked all the entrances with barricades and is allowing people after checking and inquiry,” he said.
The “black day” programmes of the MES is a protest against Belagavi not being included in Maharashtra when the states were reorganised based on language in 1956. The MES move faced opposition from Kannada organisations and writers, who call the protest against the interests of the state.
The Kannada Organisations’ Steering Committee has written a letter to Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, urging him not to permit supporters of the pro-Maharashtrian cause from Maharashtra to enter the district. They said that allowing the entry could disrupt the Rajyostava celebrations and lead to law and order problems. “Preventing them from entering the district for any reason or taking part in Black Day programmes will dampen our celebratory spirit and could potentially lead to issues with law and order in the state,” said Ashok Chandaragi, the convenor of the steering committee in the letter.
MES has planned a bike rally from Chatrapati Shivaji Garden to Maratha Mandir, culminating in a public meeting in the southern part of Belagavi on November 1. Participants are expected to wear black attire and carry black flags while chanting pro-Maharashtra slogans and demanding the inclusion of Marathi-dominated areas in Karnataka into Maharashtra.
While the police department has not yet responded to MES’s request for permission, it is expected that they may grant conditional permission, such as allowing only local attendees and stopping outsiders’ entry.
Belagavi police commissioner SN Siddaramappa said that the department is evaluating the outcome of previous “black day’ observations before deciding on permission. “Based on the report of the intelligence wing, our department has sent a confidential report to the home ministry, and the decision will be based on its orders,” the commissioner said.
Belagavi superintendent of police Bhimashankar Guled warned pro-Maharashtrians in various taluks of the district of action if they violate government instructions.
As many Marathi schools along the Chikkodi region’s border have been found to be not celebrating Rajyostava, the education department has instructed school headmasters to provide evidence in the form of videos and photos to prove their celebration of the day.
MES spokesperson Vikas Kalghatagi said that even without an official permission, they would go ahead with their scheduled programmes. “No power can prevent us,” he said.
Deepak Dalavi, an MES office-bearer, said Marathis in Karnataka have been fighting for the inclusion of Belagavi, Nippani, Khanapur, Karwar, Bidar, and Balki taluks in Karnataka in Maharashtra since 1956 when states were reorganised based on language. “Though our population is larger in these areas, we were unfairly left in Karnataka, and we now feel like foreigners in our own land,” he said. “Observing “Black Day” on the day when we were incorporated into Karnataka is our right, and no rule can prevent us from carrying on the tradition that has been observed for decades.”
In light of Karnataka celebrating its 50th year since being renamed from Mysuru Rajya to Karnataka, the district administration has encouraged people and businesses to decorate their homes and establishments, and proudly display the Kannada flag. To mark the day, hotels run by Kannadigas have offered free meals. Around 300,000 people are expected to join the Rajyostava celebration procession on November 1, officials familiar with the matter said.
