The demand to transfer the Marathi-dominated area of Belgaum to Maharashtra from Karnataka will now be raised in drama theatres across the State and in Belgaum, in the form of new play to be staged on May 1, which is Maharashtra Day.
On Thursday, the 57 anniversary of the incident in which 11 persons, who were part of the United Maharashtra Movement, were killed in police firing in Belgaum, State Industries Minister and Senior Congress leader Narayan Rane’s son Nitesh announced his decision to produce the play. The play, staged by Mr. Rane’s initiative Maharashtra Kalanidhi, will depict atrocities committed by successive governments of Karnataka on the people of Belgaum and the people’s struggle to move out of the State. “The people’s struggle continues even after so many years. The border dispute case is pending in the Supreme Court, but the atrocities against the Marathi community continue. We want the entire Maharashtra to stand behind the Marathi community of Belgaum and that will be done through our play,” said Mr. Rane.
The play will strongly send the message of demanding Belgaum for Maharashtra, he said. He said he would be addressing a press conference in Belgaum in the next two weeks about the play. He refused it to be labelled as a political move of the Congress to attack the Bharatiya Janata Party, which is in power in Karnataka.
