Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Dec 27: Two BJP-ruled states have virtually declared a war against each other raising border disputes that were settled about six decades ago creating a situation akin to India – China border row.
Despite the chief ministers of Maharashtra and Karnataka shaking hands with each other in the presence of the union home minister Amit Shah promising not to rake up the border issue till the Supreme Court seized with the matter delivers its judgment, both have gone back on their words creating an embarrassing situation for the BJP-government at the centre, and more particularly Amit Shah.
Responding to the Karnataka Assembly last week adopting a resolution “not to cede an inch of land” to Maharashtra, the Maharashtra Assembly on Tuesday unanimously adopted a resolution to legally pursue the inclusion of 865 Marathi-speaking villages in Karnataka into the State. The Maharashtra move immediately evoked a very strong reaction from the Karnataka chief minister Basavraj Bommai who accused the neighbouring state of “trying to snatch away lands from us” and vowed to adhere to the state’s resolution “not to cede an inch of land” under any circumstances.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde tabled the resolution during the winter session of the Legislature being held in Nagpur, to fight the case in the Supreme Court to include Belagavi, Karwar, Nipani, Bidar Bhalki and others into Maharashtra.
“The state government stands resolutely with the Marathi-speaking people in 865 villages and cities of Belgaum (also called Belagavi), Karwar, Nipani, Bidar and Bhalki that are being contested in the Supreme Court,” said the resolution.
It further said it would pursue the case to include “inch and inch” of these cities and villages in the Supreme Court.
Moving the resolution, Mr. Shinde accused Karnataka Assembly passing the resolution on the issue “to purposely fuel the border row” and condemned the southern state’s move. The resolution, passed unanimously, stated the Central government should urge the Karnataka government to implement the decision taken in the meeting with the Union Home Minister and the Karnataka government should ensure the safety of Marathi-speaking people in its State.
On December 14, Amit Shah had told media persons after his joint meeting with the two chief ministers that both the States would not make any claim against each other until the Supreme Court gives its verdict. The resolution was brought in a day after former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had suggested that the disputed districts along the Maharashtra-Karnataka border be brought under Centre’s rule till the Supreme Court decides on the issue.
On December 26, speaking at the Maharashtra Legislative Council, Mr Thackeray had hit out at Mr. Shinde’s ‘passiveness’ and had said while Karnataka CM was making one provocative statement after the other in an aggressive manner, why was the Maharashtra CM ‘reluctant’ to speak on the issue.
“The restraint that Maharashtra has been showing has not been reciprocated by Karnataka. The oppression of Marathi-speaking people in the border districts of Karnataka [Belagavi, Karwar, Nippani] continues unabated. It is pointless to pass resolutions in the Legislature,” Mr. Thackeray said, while at the same time censuring the Shinde-Fadnavis government’s ‘delay’ in passing a resolution on this issue.
The Karnataka Legislative Assembly had on Thursday last week unanimously passed a resolution on border row with Maharashtra, resolving to protect the southern state’s interests and not to cede an inch of land to its neighbour. It had called the dispute a “closed chapter.”
The border row between the two states dates back to 1957, when reorganisation of boundaries was done on linguistic lines. Karnataka maintains this demarcation done as per the States Reorganisation Act and the 1967 Mahajan Commission Report as final. But Maharashtra lays claim to Belagavi, earlier a part of Bombay Presidency, and over 800 Marathi-speaking villages in Karnataka. Since the State’s creation on May 1, 1960, it has claimed that 865 Marathi-speaking villages should merge into Maharashtra since they were part of the erstwhile Bombay Presidency. However, Karnataka has refused to do so claiming the demarcation done on linguistic lines as per the States Reorganisation Act and the 1967 Mahajan Commission Report as final.
Strongly criticising the Maharashtra resolution, Karnataka chief minister said there was no provision for the resolution they (Maharashtra leaders) have passed. “They are provoking and threatening to divide us. We condemn this. Many decades have passed since the State Reorganisation Act was passed (in 1956). People in both states live in harmony,” Mr Bommai said.
“Maharashtra is playing politics. And passing such a resolution is just a political gimmick. We stand by our decisions. Not a single inch of Karnataka will go to Maharashtra. We will continue to protect the interest of Kannada people, in Karnataka and Kannada-speaking community outside the border,” Mr Bommai said.
“When the case is pending in Supreme Court, why did they pass such a resolution? Our resolution is different from theirs. Our resolution says we will not let go of our Karnataka (land), while they say want to snatch it from us. When the case is pending in Supreme Court, there’s no meaning to the resolution. We believe in the Supreme Court,” the Karnataka Chief Minister said.
Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena faction leader Sanjay Raut had on December 21 stoked controversy with a China parallel. “We will enter Karnataka like China has entered the country,” he said.
Belagavi, which has a large Marathi-speaking population and was originally a part of the Bombay presidency that made way to Maharashtra, is the epicentre of the row. Karnataka also claims the south Solapur and Akkalkote regions of Maharashtra, which have a sizeable Kannada-speaking population.
