Activists urge commission to resolve issues concerning people living in the border district of Belagavi

Belagavi activists raise border issues, demand government action, and protection of Kannada language and culture in Karnataka.

Kannada activists raised several issues before the Karnataka State Border and Rivers Protection Commission in Belagavi on Wednesday.

Activists and concerned citizens asked commission chairman Shivaraj Patil to consider grievances of people living in the border district and resolve them by working with the State government and the district administration.

Convenor of Kannada organisations in Belagavi district Ashok Chandargi complained that Maharashtra government is violating the spirit and principles of federalism by repeatedly interfering in Karnataka’s affairs.

For example, it has recently introduced the Mahatma Phule health scheme in five border districts of Karnataka. It is enrolling Marathi speakers in Karnataka villages and empanelling private hospitals in Belagavi, he said.

It also opened service centres in the district but they were later closed by the district administration, he said. These are nothing but part of a conspiracy to document the number of Marathi speakers in Karnataka, to be presented before courts, he said. He expressed regret that the State government is not taking such issues seriously.

Mr. Patil said that such schemes have no legal validity but the commission will communicate to the State government that such schemes should not be allowed.

Some members of the Siddhi community from Khanapur taluk attended the meeting. Community leader Juje Jackie Harnodkar Siddhi listed problems faced by the tribal community and sought the help of the government in resolving them.