Belgaum border dispute

The Belgaum border dispute is a dispute involving the Indian states of Karnataka and Maharashtra. Belgaum is currently part of Karnataka and was earlier part of the British India's Bombay Presidency. The Bombay Presidency encompassed present day Maharashtra as well a large area of North Karnataka, which has significant Marathi speaking population.

Belgaum is now claimed by Maharashtra on linguistic grounds.

After India became independent in 1947, the Belgaum district (which was in the erstwhile Bombay Presidency) became a part of the Bombay State. In 1948, the Belgaum Municipality requested the Indian Dominion, Indian Constituent Assembly and the Boundary Commission to include the Belgaum Municipal District in the proposed Samyukta Maharashtra state for the Marathi speakers.

But, in 1956, the Belgaum district was incorporated into the newly formed Mysore state (now Karnataka) with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, although other adjoining areas of the Bombay State were included in the newly formed Maharashtra state. The Act, which reorganised India's states along linguistic and administrative lines, included Belgaum in the Kannada-majority Karnataka, although the district had a large Marathi-speaking population;

Belgaum historically has been a part of the Kannada region and has seen many such dynasties ruling over it. But the scenario in the region changed in the 18th century as in other parts of India. This was the period which saw the expansion of the Maratha empire under the Peshwas which culminated in realising the famous saying of " to Cuttack". Hence a large chunk of Karnataka region formed a part of the then Maratha empire and was called the "Southern Maratha Country" (most of North Karnataka). By the time the British came to power, this region was dotted by the remnants of Maratha empire ruling over their jagirs and states. But the language of the land essentially remained Kannada. This has been summed up by historian and civil servant of the Bombay presidency John Faithfull Fleet in his book The Dynasties of the Kanarese Districts of the Bombay Presidency (1894), which forms a part of the Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency (Vol-1, Part-II, Book-III). The first page of the book explains the ground realities of the time, which goes as,

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