What is the Karnataka - Maharashtra dispute all about?

Belgaum or Belagavi is currently part of Karnataka but is claimed by Maharashtra. After the Karnataka-Maharashtra border dispute escalated, many untoward incidents took place in Belagavi. Maharashtra, since its inception in 1960, has been entangled in a dispute with Karnataka over the status of Belgaum district and 80 other Marathi-speaking villages, which are in the control of the southern state.

The long-running border dispute started back in 1953, after the Maharashtra government objected to the inclusion of 865 villages including Belagavi. The villages are spread across Belagavi and the north-western and north-eastern regions of Karnataka — all bordering Maharashtra. After the implementation of the State Reorganization Act, of 1956, the Maharashtra government demanded the readjustment of its border with Karnataka.

Following this, a four-member committee was formed by both states. Maharashtra government had expressed willingness to transfer Kannada-speaking 260 villages predominantly, but it was turned down by Karnataka. Now, both Karnataka and Maharashtra governments have approached the Supreme Court to expedite the matter.

Recently, the decades-old dispute flared up again when Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that the Karnataka government was “seriously” laying claim to Jath taluk in Maharashtra, evoking a strong response. Mr. Bommai told the media that all 40 gram panchayats in the taluk had resolved that Jath taluk should join Karnataka. His comments came ahead of the final Supreme Court hearing of Maharashtra’s plea on the dispute on Wednesday (November 30).

In reply, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said not a single village in Maharashtra would be ceded to Karnataka. “The Jath resolution was passed in 2012 and is an old proposal. We have not received any new proposal from Karnataka. Maharashtra’s claim on Belagavi, Karvar and Nippani is non-negotiable.

Bommai took to Twitter to reply to the Maharashtra Deputy CM. “There is no question of giving even an inch of land to Maharashtra. In fact, our argument is to merge predominantly Kannada-speaking Sholapur and Akkalkot areas in Maharashtra with Karnataka,” he wrote.

Jath taluk in Sangli, a border district, faces severe drinking water shortage and the Karnataka government has implemented programmes to curb the issue. In 2021, all 40 gram panchayats of the drought-prone taluk passed a resolution to join Karnataka, stated stating that the Maharashtra government was unable to provide water to the people of Jath and they were being treated unfairly.Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the State government was “seriously” laying a claim on Jath taluk and held meetings with a team of senior advocates to resolve the boundary issue with the neighbouring state. The government also decided to grant special funds for the development of Kannada schools in Maharashtra through the Karnataka Border Development Authority. They also proposed a pension for all Kannadigas living in Maharashtra who fought in the freedom struggle, the Karnataka unification movement and the liberation of Goa.

Bommai said that the border row had become a political tool for whichever party came to power in Maharashtra, and asked the Maharashtra government “to not create disputes between two states” which share cordial relations. “No one has the right to change the Reorganisation of States Act,” he added. Furthermore, he said, the Supreme Cout had not considered Maharashtra’s application so far as it may not be maintainable. This set off a war of words between the Karnataka and Maharashtra governments with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis dismissing all speculation of giving up Jath to Karnataka.