The border dispute between Karnataka and Maharashtra has flared up again, with Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on Monday seeking Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s intervention to “guide” the neighbouring state to give up its claim on Belgaum and other Marathi-speaking areas on the border. The Shiv Sena has also got into the picture, attacking buses from Karnataka, and warning the BJP to “control its (Karnataka) Chief Minister”. It has said a party delegation would soon meet the President and Prime Minister to discuss the issue. An outline of the origins of the dispute and how it has played out over five decades:

History of the dispute

Located near the borders of Maharashtra and Goa, Belgaum became a part of the Bombay Presidency after Independence. In 1948, the Belgaum municipality requested that the district, having a predominant Marathi-speaking population, be incorporated into the proposed Maharashtra State. However, the States Reorganisation Act of 1956, which divided states on linguistic and administrative lines, made Belgaum a part of the then Mysore State. The issue has ever since been a bone of contention between the two states.

The Maharashtra government contested the inclusion and lodged a protest with the Centre in September 1957, leading to the formation of the Mahajan Commission under former Chief Justice Mehr Chand Mahajan in October 1966. The Commission, which submitted its report in August 1967, recommended that 262 villages be transferred to Maharashtra and rejected Karnataka’s claim over Belgaum, Karwar town and 300 villages in Karwar, Supa and Haliyal taluks.

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