The Karnataka-Maharashtra border dispute
Context: The decades old dispute flared up again between Karnataka – Maharashtra.
More about the news and recent developments:
- The border dispute arose when when Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the Karnataka government was considering laying claim to Jath taluk in Maharashtra, evoking a strong response.
- The Karnataka Legislative Assembly, on December 22, unanimously passed a resolution to protect its interests and called the dispute a “closed chapter”.
- On December 27, the Maharashtra government retaliated by passing a unanimous resolution in its Assembly to legally pursue the inclusion of 865 Marathi-speaking villages from Belagavi, Karwar, Nipani, Bidar, Bhalki and others in Karnataka into the State.
Background to the issue:
- The border town of Belagavi has been a part of Karnataka since boundaries were demarcated along linguistic lines under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.
- The raging boundary dispute between the two States dates back to the reorganisation of States along linguistic lines.
Maharashtra stand:
- In 1957, unhappy with the demarcation of boundaries, Maharashtra demanded realignment of its border with Karnataka.
- The Maharashtra government invoked Section 21 (2)(b) of the Act, submitting a memorandum to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs stating its objection to Marathi-speaking areas being included in Karnataka.
- It also filed a petition in the Supreme Court staking a claim over Belagavi.
Karnataka stand:
- Karnataka has argued that the inclusion of Belagavi as part of its territory is beyond dispute.
- It has cited the demarcation done on linguistic lines as per the Act and the 1967 Mahajan Commission Report to substantiate its position.
- Karnataka has argued for the inclusion of areas in Kolhapur, Sholapur and Sangli districts (falling under Maharashtra) in its territory.
- From 2006, Karnataka started holding the winter session of the Legislature in Belagavi, building the massive Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in the district headquarters to reassert its claim.
Mahajan commission recommendations:
- In 1966, at Maharashtra’s insistence, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi established a one-man commission led by Mehr Chand Mahajan.
- The commission recommended that 264 villages be transferred to Maharashtra and that Belagavi (Belgaum) and 247 villages remain with Karnataka.
- Maharashtra rejected the report, while Karnataka welcomed it.
- Karnataka argued that either the Mahajan Commission Report should be accepted fully, or the status quo maintained.
The stand of Jath taluk(Maharashtra) on the issue:
- In 2021, all 40 gram panchayats of the drought-prone Jath taluk 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.
Other states border disputes:
- ASSAM-MIZORAM DISPUTE –
- HARYANA- HIMACHAL PRADESH
The two northern states have border dispute over PARWANOO region, which lies next to the panchkula district of Haryana. - LADAKH- HIMACHAL PRADESH
Himachal and Ladakh lay claim to SARCHU, which lies an area on the route between Leh and Manali. - ASSAM-ARUNACHAL PRADESH
Arunachal Pradesh grievance is that the re-organisation of North Eastern states have unilaterally transferred several forested tracts in the plains that had earlier belonged to hill tribal chiefs and communities to Assam. - ASSAM-NAGALAND
Syllabus : GS2 – Indian Polity, Inter-state border disputes.
