The Karnataka-Maharashtra border row

Source– The post is based on the article “The Karnataka-Maharashtra border row” published in The Hindu on 30th December 2022.

Syllabus: GS2- Issues and challenges pertaining federal structures

Relevance– Issues related to border disputes between states

News– The article explains the issues of Karnataka-Maharashtra border row.

What has been the politics around the dispute?

No national party is willing to take the risk and address the dispute.

This helped Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) to sustain its fight. It has a single agenda of Belagavi’s inclusion into Maharashtra.

The MES-supported candidates have been winning one or more seats in the district since the 1957 Karnataka Assembly election. They were defeated in the 2018 Assembly elections. The MES is keen to revive its political fortunes in the 2023 elections.

The dispute strongly resonates in the cultural arena too. Two Sahitya Sammelanas were held in Belagavi in 2000 and 2003, respectively. These were the 73rd Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelana (ABMSS) and the 70th Akhil Bharatiya Kannada Sahitya Sammelana. Both events prepared the ground for the re-opening of the issue.

What is the recent controversy around Jath taluka?

CM Basavaraj Bommai said the government was “seriously considering” laying a claim on Jath taluka.

In 2021, all 40 gram panchayats of the drought-prone Jath taluka passed a resolution to join Karnataka. It stated that the Maharashtra government was unable to provide water to its people and they were being treated unfairly.

Violence broke out at Dhound village in Maharashtra when some pro-Marathi activists vandalized KSRTC bus. In retaliation, pro-Kannada activists blackened the boards of an MSRTC bus in Kalaburagi district.

For further reading- Karnataka Maharashtra Border Dispute