In 2023, the Supreme Court is set to hear the Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute

All eyes are on the Supreme Court, which is likely to take up the Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute in 2023 after the Maharashtra Legislature unanimously adopted a resolution on Tuesday expressing complete solidarity with the Marathi-speaking people who live in villages along the border with Karnataka. The states' boundary conflict began in the 1960s, following the reorganisation of states along linguistic lines. The Maharashtra Government filed a petition challenging some provisions of the State Reorganisation Act, 1956, and requesting the merger of 865 villages from five districts in Karnataka with Maharashtra. The apex court was scheduled to hear arguments on the petition's maintainability on November 30 of this year.

 

The issue was brought before the bench led by Justice K.M. Joseph, however, the border dispute was unable to be discussed at that time since the judges were involved in a constitutional bench hearing over Jallikattu. The government will pursue the legal battle before the Supreme Court to include the 865 Marathi-speaking villages in Belagavi (Belgaum), Karwar, Nippani, and other places in Maharashtra, according to a resolution voted by the Maharashtra Legislature. Sources claim that the case will likely be brought up for a prompt hearing before the Supreme Court.

 

Maharashtra and Karnataka have argued about the inclusion of some border towns and villages ever since the State Reorganisation Act was passed by the Parliament in 1956. The Justice Fazal Ali Commission was established in 1953, and the 1956 Act is based on the recommendations it made in its report, which was submitted two years later. The Maharashtra Government filed a petition with the Supreme Court asking for the transfer of a few Karnataka villages to its side. However, the petition's maintainability is still in question even two decades after it was submitted.

 

Given that it has a substantial Marathi-speaking population, Maharashtra believes that the northwestern district of Belagavi, which was a part of the former Bombay Presidency, should be included in the state. Additionally, certain Marathi-speaking areas that are today a part of Karnataka were claimed by the Maharashtra Government. The resolution read, "The state government stays firmly and with full commitment with the Marathi-speaking people from the 865 villages," and it was proposed by Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde.

 

 

Image Courtesy: Twitter @SupremeCourtFan