The Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) from Belgaum on Saturday staged a demonstration here to demand merger of 865 Marathi-speaking villages including Belgaum,presently in Karnataka,with Maharashtra. "Karnataka Government is committing atrocities against Marathi-speaking people in that state and there is a conspiracy to destroy Marathi language and culture," MES president T K Patil said. Members of the MES,who staged the demonstration at the Azad Maidan,recently met Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and leader of Opposition in the legislative Assembly Eknath Khadse and pointed out that mere passing resolutions in the legislature for merger of the 2780 square miles area presently in Karnataka with Maharashtra,won't suffice. "They have to do something concrete and ensure that their resolutions are implemented," Patil said. MEA favours the disputed area to be declared as Union Territory till the Supreme Court gives its verdict on the matter. Chavan has assured Samiti members that efforts would be made to ensure that linguistic minorities in Karnataka are not harassed,Patil said. The Karnataka government has been holding a legislature session in Belgaum only to assert its right on Belgaum,he said.
