The Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) delegation led by acting president Manohar Kinekar, has submitted a memorandum to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, urging him to take decisive action on the Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute. MES demands that political parties in the state address the decades-old issue, with specific focus on Belagavi and other Marathi-speaking areas currently within Karnataka’s borders.
MES spokesperson Vikas Kalghatagi said: “Our goal is to make the nation aware of the atrocities committed against the Marathi-speaking population in Karnataka. We want the issue to be central in election discussions so that it gains the attention it deserves.”
The dispute over the border areas, including Belagavi, has been a source of tension for decades, with repeated flare-ups and protests from both sides. With elections around the corner and political alliances being re-calibrated, the MES hopes Pawar will push harder for the Marathi-speaking population’s cause at this critical juncture. Further, the MES delegation plans to meet the Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis for the same matter.
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Kinekar, a former legislator, criticised Karnataka government for enforcing Kannada on Marathi speaking people. He alleged Karnataka government of violating linguistic rights of the minority. Kinekar believes that mandating Kannada in administrative documentation and business signage, disregards the rights of Marathi population, which in certain areas is more than 15% of the population.
Pawar has responded positively to the appeal and assured MVA would consider the issue in its next campaign committee meeting. Prakash Maragale, an MES office bearer, said that the delegation invited Sharad Pawar to participate in a “Black Day” protest scheduled for November 1 in Belagavi. The protest will be organised to mark the day when the Karnataka government officially declared its formation, which MES has been opposing for a long time.
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The memorandum calls for the inclusion of the border dispute in election manifestos, particularly by MVA partners. MES plans to meet leaders from Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, BJP to attain a broader support for the issue.
