MES fighting to stay relevant in Belgaum

BELGAUM: The Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) - an organisation projecting itself as the champion of the Marathi cause since 1956 - is attempting to regain its lost glory by creating a tense atmosphere in border areas of the state. The outfit has made its presence felt by agitating for the transfer of Belgaum and other Marathi dominated in the district to Maharashtra.  But, indulging in anti-Kannada activities seems to be the outfits’ — once a force to reckon with in the district — only calling card. This comes in the wake of the elections to the Assembly and the Belgaum City Corporation in about one-and-half years.The MES, which once had five assembly seats — Belgaum, Khanapur, Bagewadi, Uchagaon and Nippani — in its pocket, lost them all, not to mention its hold on the APMC, taluk panchayats and Belgaum City Corporation.Factionalism, too, has plagued the MES in recent times. Interestingly, candidates of the outfit’s two factions failed to send even a single member to the state Assembly.This led to some of its die-hard supporters switching allegiance with the BJP.The Belgaum City Corporation, once an MES stronghold, is now in the hands of the Sambhajirao Patil-led Sarvabhashik Samavichar Vikas Vedike, which  has Marathi, Kannada and Urdu corporators as members. Patil is a former Mayor and a Congress leader.In order to stay relevant, the MES indulged in several activities, most notable of which was the opposition to the resolution to congratulate Jnanpith awardee Chandrashekhar Kambar. On Karnataka Rajyotsava, the outfit observed a ‘Black day’ and held a cycle rally to express protest against Karnataka. The rally was attended by the Belgaum mayor and deputy mayor which invited the wrath of the pro-Kannada groups. The state government eventually slapped show-cause notices on the mayor and deputy mayor. It later issued a notice asking the corporation why it should not be superseded following its anti-Kannada stand.