Activists to launch second Andolan to merge Belgaum into Maharashtra

The organisations fighting for the merger of disputed district of Belgaum with Maharashtra have now decided to intensify their stir with re-branding their movement Second Samyukta Maharashtra Andolan.
Making an emotional pitch, the activists are now reaching out to public servants, youth organisations, academicians and students from across Maharashtra to consolidate their support in order to pressure the government for an early solution to the issue.
Members of least half a dozen organisations are holding a daylong consultation in Churchgate on Sunday to chalk out a strategy. A signature campaign will be launched at the end of the day, with other programmes to be rolled out in January.

What are activists saying?

Maloji Ashtekar, ex-mayor of Belgaum and general secretary of Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) said, "The Samyukta Maharashtra movement, for which our leaders fought in 1956 and got the state of Maharashtra in 1960, is still incomplete with Belgaum being out of its fold despite having a majority of Marathi-speaking population. With support from the people of Maharashtra, we wish to take the movement on a larger scale."

Deepak Pawar, a professor at Mumbai university and head of the Marathi Abhyas Kendra, a centre to promote Marathi, said, "In 1995-99, the Sena-BJP government failed to merge Belgaum with the state despite having BJP government at Centre. With the second movement, we want both governments to look into the injustice meted out to lakhs of Marathis in Belgaum."

What is the issue?

Belgaum was included in Karnataka in accordance with the States Reorganisation Act of 1956. There are four cities and 865 villages in Belgaum district on which Maharashtra has been staking claim for the past 60 years on linguistic grounds.

Following protests from Maharashtra, the Centre constituted a commission headed by Justice MC Mahajan in 1966, which recommended that Belgaum should be a part of Karnataka. While Centre and Karnataka accepted Mahajan Commission's recommendation, Maharashtra moved court.

MES, which came into being in 1948 for getting Belgaum into Maharashtra, has been spearheading the movement since then. It has been demanding a plebiscite and central rule in the area till the boundary dispute is resolved.

What is the legal status?

A petition filed by Maharashtra is pending before the Supreme Court since 2004. The court has formed a committee under Manmohan Sarin, retired chief justice of Jammu & Kashmir high court to examine witnesses from both states. Witnesses from Maharashtra will file affidavits on January 9, 2015. Karnataka has been asked to submit affidavits of witnesses after next week. After this, the Sarin committee has been asked to submit its report within a month.

Is this a political issue?

While Kannadiga scholars have been claiming that it's a political issue with no ground support from the people, Marathi activists have rubbished the claims, saying besides population statistics it's the "wish of the people" which keeps movement going. "Had there not been support of people, how would the movement survive for 60 years? The disputed area has over 15 lakh Marathis. Out of 58 corporators in the Belgaun corporation, 34 are Marathi-speaking. They all wish to be part of Maharashtra," said Ashtekar.

What is Karnataka doing?

It renamed the district Belagavi last month after getting a nod from the Centre. It is planning to make it the state's second capital. The state's second assembly has already been set up on the outskirts of Belgaum at a cost of Rs450 crore.