Maharashtra brings out book on boundary row with Karnataka

Cutting across party lines, top Maharashtra politicians and leaders would come together under one umbrella on Wednesday for the release of a comprehensive book on the boundary dispute that it has with neighbouring Karnataka.

The book in Marathi – ‘Maharashtra-Karnataka Seemavad: Sangharsh Ani Sankalp’ (Maharashtra-Karnataka Boundary Dispute: Struggle and Pledge) – running into 530 pages, is a detailed account of Maharashtra’s position on this issue.

A set of cartoons by late Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray forms part of the book.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will release the book in the presence of top leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government and the opposition BJP. NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, himself a four-time Maharashtra chief minister, will preside over the event.

Maharashtra government’s principal secretary Shrikant Deshpande will welcome the guests and give a detailed background about the book.

“The book is very comprehensive and presents a detailed account of the issue right from 1956 to 2021,” said Deepak Pawar, who is the officer on special duty on the Maharashtra-Karnataka boundary issue.

Speaking to DH, he said that the book deals with the detailed speeches of leaders, discussions in Maharashtra legislature and the position of Maharashtra in the Supreme Court vis-a-vis Karnataka’s stand. “It’s basically to document the issue for future generations,” he said.