Marathi press on Belgaum issue

The border dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka state is pending for the last fifty two years. Despite agitations and representations to the Union government no effort is made to settle the dispute by the Central government which is constitutionally authorized to settle inter-state disputes. Being perturbed by the delay Maharashtra has approached the Supreme Court for justice to the Marathi speaking people residing in border areas which should be included in Maharashtra but are now in Karnataka state. After the recent attempt to hold a public meeting at Belgaum where the Karnataka state Assembly session was deliberately held, Marathi people and activists of the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti(Committee of Marathi speaking people in border areas) were severely beaten by the Karnataka police force. Most of the Marathi newspapers have critically interpreted the police action with analysis of the burning issue.  

   

The Belgaum-based daily Tarun Bharat which has taken very active role in agitations on the Maharashtra –Karnataka¿s border issue since beginning has now commented that the Karnataka government has spent crores of public money at Belgaum in order to show that it has right over the city. The way the rally of Marathi speaking people and their leaders was suppressed recently indicates that the inhuman lathi charge amounts to oppressive tactics of Hitler and this is more so because more than two thousands police staff including high officials equipped with stenguns and explosive detection squads were kept ready on the day. If guns and weapons are to be used, it is better to show the warring spirit by going to the Kashmir border, comments the editorial.  

 

Sakal has editorially commented that Belgaum and adjacent 865 villages which are Marathi speaking are included in the Karnataka state and Belgaum being the main centre where demand of Marathi speaking people is voiced is being used by the Karnataka government for its oppressive tactics. The dispute is now pending in the Supreme Court and both the Union and state government are  neglecting the issue which could have been solved amicably. But no political party having ruling governments at both the Centre and the states has been able to solve the issue which therefore pending for the last 52 years. Besides imposing Kannad language in all transactions, the government has been suppressing Marathi speaking people on all spheres including political, educational, social and cultural activities.

 

Lokmat has pointed out that holding Assembly session at Belgaum earlier when Kumarswamy was chief minister and now by the new Government under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seems to be a tactical move to show that Belgaum has special place in the Karnataka state. It is only now during the last 52 years since the dispute started that Assembly sessions are being held and that too when the matter is pending in the Supreme Court.

 

The Maharashtra Times of The Times group has harped on a very vital alliance between Shivsena and the BJP which may break if the BJP leaders fail to ask its rulers in the Karnataka to respond to the demand of Marathi speaking people. The Shiv Sena and its mouthpiece Samana have candidly declared that if the BJP stalwarts fail to stop oppressive tactics by the Karnataka government which under the political control of the BJP, their alliance in Maharashtra may be broken. The editorial has warned that if the BJP-Sena alliance in Maharshtra is broken, while the two parties will fail in coming elections and Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) may get the opportunity due to the split. Besides Marathi people are getting representation in power positions due to the alliance which needs to be maintained at least in the interest of the Marathi speaking people.