This is a PTI news bite pasted as on their site;
(PTI) Despite the over fifty-year old boundary dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka becoming a matter of less concern for the new generation, the issue continues to stir emotions among the votaries of merger of Marathi-speaking areas with the southern state.
As Karnataka prepares to hold Assembly session in Belgaum, a border district, the pro-merger groups revisit their long struggle and are hopeful of “justice”.
Leaders of pro-unification Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) and politicians from Maharashtra, who participated in various agitations in Belgaum, said they were still awaiting the Supreme Court’s verdict on the dispute, one of the last unresolved offshoots of the linguistic reorganisation.
“Justice delayed is justice denied. But we are still positive and hopeful that we will get justice,” a top leader of MES, Kiran Thakur, told PTI.
MES has been observing November 1, the Rajyotsava Day (foundation day) of Karnataka as `Black Day’ and January 17 as “martyrs day” every year to commemorate the martyrdom of five people from Belgaum who were killed in police firing protesting the decision to include the city in Karnataka.
The session starting in Belgaum from January 16 is the second since then Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy took the decision at the end of 2007. He had even announced that Belgaum would be developed as the second capital of Karnataka and Rs 100 crore would be spent for its development.
Karnataka sees the session as an opportunity to remove the feeling of alienation among the people of Belgaum and at the same time assert its right over the city. PTI
Source: PTI
