Karnataka gives politicians chance to revive border row:Belgaum Media Coverage

7:20 PM Posted by ukmad

This bit of news seems to be a continuing coverage of PTI of the issue.
I am posting this on this blog as the same will be covered by the national media, and the manner in which it is covered is important to us. But I personally liked the heading of the post (Karnataka gives politicians chance to revive border row).


Karnataka's decision to hold an assembly session in Belgaum from January 16, has given politicians a fresh opportunity to rake up the long standing border dispute with Maharashtra which is now pending with the Supreme Court.The Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) and some Maharashtra politicians such as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Chagan Bhujbal have for long been agitating to realise their demand for merger of 856 villages and towns of Karnataka, including Belgaum, Karwar and Nippani with Maharashtra.However, MES failed to win a single seat in the Marathi-dominated areas in last year's assembly elections and the emotive appeal of the issue seems to have lost traction with the younger generation of Marathi-speaking people in Karnataka.Bhujbal, one of the leading lights of the agitation in the '80s, however, told PTI it was wrong to say the movement has lost its relevance just because the MES is not in control of the Belgaum municipality and was without representation in the Karnataka Assembly.While MES believes the Karnataka move is aimed at thwarting their "just" struggle, Karnataka, sees the session as an opportunity to remove the feeling of alienation among the Marathi-speaking people of Belgaum and at the same time assert its right over the city.This will be the second time when a Karnataka assembly session will be held in Belgaum. Former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy had decided to hold the first one at the end of 2007 while announcing that Belgaum would be developed as the second capital of Karnataka and Rs 100 crore would be spent for its development.The delay in arriving at an amicable solution to the boundary row was due to political and electoral interests of national parties in both the states, Bhujbal said."Delay is inevitable, but justice is important. The matter is now pending before the Supreme Court and the State Government is pressing for an early solution," he added.Maharashtra has a rightful claim over Belgaum and other areas on the basis of language and geographical continuity, said Bhujbal.Even as the dispute awaits the Supreme Court verdict, pro-merger Marathi politicians are hopeful that justice will be done and the court's judgment will go in their favour.
Source: http://newsx.com/story/41455

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