Maha resolves to stand with K’taka border villagers
   Date :28-Dec-2022

K’taka border villagers 
 
 
 
Staff Reporter
Amidst stand-off with Karnataka over status of border villages, Maharashtra State Legislature, on Tuesday, unanimously adopted a resolution to drive home a message of hope and to send a positive message to the villagers that State stands unequivocally with them. The decades old issue has again flared up in the 865 villages in Karnataka where people want to be merged with Maharashtra as they are dominated by Marathi speaking people.
The renewed focus on the border villagers comes after Karnataka Government hardened its stand and trouble arose on the Maharashtra border in aftermath of some comments that were attributed to top political leadership of the Southern State.
Chief Minister of Maharashtra Eknath Shinde moved the resolution in either House wherein the people's representative expressed solidarity with those living in the disputed boundary region with Karnataka.
The Lower House, with support of all the members, passed the resolution which explains that Maharashtra will fight the pending case in the Supreme Court of India with full strength for the inclusion of each and every inch of 865 villages including Belagavi, Karwar, Nipani and Bidar Bhalki cities in the State. The resolution tabled by Shinde in the Lower and Upper House said, Centre should urge the Karnataka Government to implement the decision taken in the meeting with the Union Home Minister Amit Shah and they should be given an understanding to guarantee the safety of the Marathi people in the border areas.
Opposition was demanding this resolution from day one of the winter session in the Lower House and the emotive issue caused commotion resulting in frequent adjournments during the first week of winter session of State Legislature. Even they demonstrated and had walked out couple of times on this demand. Whereas the Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday declared that the resolution will be tabled in the house in presence of the Chief Minister as Shinde was in Delhi for a programme.
On Tuesday, after laying of papers in the Lower House, Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar demanded the Chief Minister to table the resolution in the first half of the session. Accordingly, CM read out the resolution in the Assembly that was then supported by all members in one voice. As per the resolution, the State Government will stand behind the Marathi people in border areas and it also condemned the Karnataka administration for its anti-Marathi stand in the border area.
Shinde further said that Marathi people residing in the border villages have faced injustice.
The border dispute goes back to 1956, when the then Maharashtra Government demanded a redrawing of its border with Karnataka. Maharashtra claimed 865 villages given to Karnataka, including Belagavi, Karwar and Nipani, and wanted these to be merged into the State whereas Karnataka rejected the claim.