May 1 is marked as Maharashtra Day to celebrate the existence of the state. On May 1, 1960, the Bombay Reorganization Act came into effect. This act was a result of many protests and movements that demanded a creation of an individual state. This demand for a separate state was first made by The Sanyukt Maharashtra Andolan.
To celebrate the day, an event is annually organised at the Shivaji Park in Dadar in Mumbai. During the event, Mumbai Police, the Governor of the state, and other eminent personalities of the state come together.
Before the formation of Maharashtra, there existed Bombay which included people speaking four major languages including Marathi, Kutchi, Gujarati, and Konkani. With the Bombay Reorganization Act, the erstwhile Bombay province basically got divided into two states — namely Gujarat and Maharashtra. The division of the states was done on the basis of the language that people spoke. Those speaking Kutchi and Gujarati, became a part of Gujarat while those who spoke Marathi and Konkani became a part of Maharashtra.
Under normal circumstances, various cultural programs and public gatherings would have been organised in order to celebrate the culture and tradition of Maharashtra. Usually, the day is a public holiday as all schools, banks, and government offices are shut on this day. Further, many organisations also hold formal events to award people like doctors, police officials, academicians and sports persons who are making the state proud with their contributions in respective field.
The Maharashtra Day event at Shivaji Park was also cancelled last year due to the nationwide lockdown that was imposed to curtail the coronavirus. There are chances that this year, some organisations will conduct virtual events to celebrate the spirit of Maharashtra. Apart from virtual events, no physical event is scheduled for the day.
Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Telegram.
Comments
0 comment