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Karnataka-Maharashtra Border Dispute
Context
Bus services between Karnataka and Maharashtra have come to a standstill after tensions flared up recently when a bus conductor was beaten up in Belagavi for allegedly not responding in Marathi.
What is the Karnataka-Maharashtra Border Dispute?
- The border dispute between Karnataka and Maharashtra primarily centers around the region of Belagavi (formerly Belgaum), a district that has a significant Marathi-speaking population.
- The dispute dates back to 1956 when India reorganized its states based on linguistic lines.
- Belagavi was allocated to Karnataka, but Maharashtra claims that the district and several surrounding areas should belong to it, as they were part of the Bombay Presidency before independence.
- Timeline:
- 1956: The States Reorganisation Act was passed, forming new states based on linguistic majorities. Belagavi, despite its large Marathi-speaking population, was allocated to Karnataka.
- 1960: Maharashtra started claiming Belagavi and several villages along the border, arguing that they were wrongly assigned to Karnataka. Maharashtra’s objections were primarily based on the linguistic makeup of these areas.
- 1966: The Mahajan Commission was set up by the Indian government to resolve the issue. The commission ruled in favor of Karnataka, recommending that Belagavi and 247 villages remain with Karnataka, while 264 villages should be transferred to Maharashtra. Maharashtra rejected this recommendation.
- 2004: Maharashtra took the matter to the Supreme Court, where it remains pending. The border dispute between the two states remains unresolved, with the Supreme Court yet to pass a final ruling.
Claims of Both States
- Maharashtra’s Claims: Maharashtra claims 814 villages and the urban settlements of Belagavi, Karwar, and Nippani as historically belonging to the Bombay Presidency before India's independence.
- Maharashtra argues that these regions, predominantly Marathi-speaking, should be part of Maharashtra.
- In 2004, Maharashtra filed a petition in the Supreme Court, staking its claim over Belagavi.
- Karnataka’s Claims: Karnataka defends its position, claiming that Belagavi and surrounding areas were rightly included based on the States Reorganisation Act of 1956.
- The 1966 Mahajan Commission Report supports Karnataka’s claim, as it recommended that Belagavi and 247 villages should stay with Karnataka.
- Karnataka has also cited the linguistic lines drawn by the Act and the economic development in Belagavi since it became part of Karnataka.
- Karnataka has built a Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi to assert its control and hold the winter sessions of the Karnataka legislature there since 2006.
| Fact Box:
Mahajan Commission
Key Inter-State Border Disputes in India:
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