The dispute over Belgaum city have been simmering between the states of Karnataka and Maharashtra for over 50 years. The State Re-organisation Committee had recommended that Belgaum city should come under the administrative control of Karnataka way back in 1956. The Maharastrians opposed this and due to their insistence, a Commission was appointed to re-look in this matter and even that Commission headed by Justice Mahajan took a stand in favour of Karnataka. Still politicians of Maharashtra are keeping the issue alive and periodically issue statements to provoke violence and destruction of public property.
The border dispute between Karnataka and Maharashtra can be solved once for all by holding a referendum as in a democratic set up if issues are serious, the ultimate solution is to hold a referendum and if the majority is in favour of a particular decision that should be respected.
What does it matter if at all Belgaum goes to Maharashtra? The Kannada speaking people living in Belgaum will not be shunted out nor their business affected. At the most they may have to converse in Marathi which they are already acquainted with. Have not lakhs of Kannadigas made Mumbai their home and living happily there? The same is the case if Belgaum is retained in Karnataka. Lakhs of Marathi speaking people have made Karnataka their home and living for generations without any issues.
So is the case with regards to the dispute between Karnataka and Tamilnadu over the sharing of Kaveri water. In the March 1975 issue of Public Affair noted Kannada scholar D.V. Gundappa writes- “What does it matter if a Kannadiga drinks a cusec of water more or if the Tamilian does it? Both are Indians. If there is any real trouble both states should have referred the question to the Central Government and agreed to abide by the decision of the Central. If there were real nationalism in the country such an amicable settlement would have been natural and easy. The long-drawn dispute shows that those concerned are anxious to create irritant after irritant”.
In a federal democratic set up the central government and the supreme court has a responsibility to see that justice prevails and the party which had sought for a mediation accept the final verdict of the mediator even if it goes against its stand. But in India everything is politicised as it benefits the politicians to divert the public attention from serious issues like bad governance and corruption which has plagued India since independence. Hence the politicians want these type of issues alive.
Thinkerspad 