What is the Karnataka-Maharashtra border dispute?

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in News?
• Background (Origin of the dispute, Areas involved, States’ claim, etc.)

Why in News?

• The Maharashtra-Karnataka border row escalated into violence after vehicles from both states were attacked and defaced in Belagavi and Pune, respectively.

What is the historical background of Karnataka-Maharashtra border dispute?

Image Caption: Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute

• The Maharashtra and Karnataka boundary dispute has its origins in the reorganization of states along linguistic lines via the State Reorganization Act, 1956.
  • This Act, which took effect from 1 November, 1956, divided states on linguistic lines.
• Since its creation on May 1, 1960, Maharashtra has claimed that 865 villages, including Belagavi (then Belgaum), Carvar and Nipani, should be merged into Maharashtra.
• Karnataka, however, has refused to part with its territory.

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What is Mahajan Commission?

• On October 25, 1966, the Centre constituted the Mahajan Commission headed by the then Supreme Court Chief Justice Meher Chand Mahajan, at the insistence of Maharashtra.
• Mahajan Commission’s recommendations –
  • While rejecting Maharashtra’s claim over Belagavi (then Belgaum), the commission recommended 247 villages/places, including Jatt, Akkalkote and Solapur, to be made part of Karnataka.
  • It also declared 264 villages /places, including Nippani, Khanapur and Nandagad, to be made part of Maharashtra.
• However, the commission’s report was outrightly rejected by Maharashtra. Meanwhile, Karnataka saw the commission ruling in its favour.

What is the present status of the Karnataka-Maharashtra dispute?

• Both Karnataka and Maharashtra reckon that the complex issue will not be resolved politically, and requires a legal solution.
• In 2004, the Maharashtra government filed a petition in the Supreme Court, staking claim over Marathi-speaking villages in Karnataka, which contested the claim.
• Meanwhile, Karnataka changed the name of Belgaum to Belagavi and made it the second capital of the state.
• The issue has been pending before the Supreme Court since 2004.

Why has the Karnataka-Maharashtra dispute resurfaced recently?

• Two weeks ago, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde convened a meeting in Mumbai to review the status of the border dispute.
• He deputed two senior ministers to coordinate and pursue the border row, both on the legal front and politically.
• Karnataka’s response –
  • A day later, in Bengaluru, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai announced grants for all Kannada schools in Maharashtra.
  • He also said that the Karnataka government was thinking of staking claim over 40 villages in Jatt taluka in Maharashtra’s Sangli district.
• This prompted Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to assert that the government would “not let a single village go to Karnataka”.
• Maharashtra had decided to send ministers to visit Belagavi on December 6 to hold discussions with various organizations and people.
• The proposed visit, however, was postponed after the Karnataka government urged them not to send the delegation.

Q1) Why is Belgaum in Karnataka?

When India became independent in 1947, Belgaum and its district were part of Bombay State. In 1956, the Indian states were reorganized along linguistic lines by the States Reorganization Act and Belgaum including 10 taluks of Bombay State were transferred to Mysore State, which was renamed Karnataka in 1973.

Q2) What is inter-state council?

The Inter-State-Council under Article 263 of the Constitution of India is a recommendatory body with duties to investigate and discuss the subjects of common interest between the Union and State(s) or among the States.