The Maharashtra Day celebrations were on Sunday married by vociferous clamour for separate Vidarbha and Marathawada States, with the supporters of the two new States hoisting the flags representing their respective regions and the Vidarbha protagonists resorting to road blockades in Nagpur and violence at Yavatmal in support of their demand.
Though Vidarbha region had in the past witnessed unfurling of their regional flag on the Maharashtra day, sections of people in Marathwada voiced for the first time their demand for a separate state by hoisting their regional flag carrying a map of Marathwada at Jalna.
Former Maharashtra Advocate General Shreehari Aney — who has long been a votary of a separate Vidarbha state and whose controversial remarks clamouring for a separate Marthawada State led to his resignation from his Constitutional post in March this year — hoisted a multi-coloured Vidarbha flag at a private resort at Bajaj Nagar Square in Nagpur.
Prominent members of pro-Vidarbha organisations, Vidarbha Economic Development Council (VED), Shetkari Sanghatana, Vidarbha Vikas Aghadi and other outfits were present on the occasion.
Supporters of Vidarbha separate Vidarbha State, who observed “Maharashtra day” as a black day, released black inflated balloons carrying “Jai Vidarbha” slogan on it, at Kasturichand Park ground at Nagpur.
However, the clamour for separate Vidarbha State took a violent turn in Yavatmal, where the supporters of a separate state indulged in stone throwing and damaged at least four State Transport buses.
In Wardha town, pro-Vidarbha State activists made bonfire of the BJP’s election manifesto which had promised separate Vidarbha State. They were protesting against the BJP-led government’s failure to implement its promise.
A group of people hoisted a flag demanding separate Vidarbha in State Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar’s home district of Chandrapur even as the minister was busy celebrating “Maharashtra day” elsewhere.
Separate Vidarbha flags were hoisted in as many as 23 towns in the region, including Wardha, Yavatmal and Amravati, in support of a separate State. The activists in these towns also observed “Maharashtra day” as a black day in protest against the merger of the then Vidarbha, the Central Provinces and Berar into Maharashtra on 1 May, 1960.
Not to be outdone, the Aam Admi Party (AAP) joined clamour for a separate Vidarbha State. Its activists climbed atop the 3-G tower — a mobile tower erected by a private telecom company — at Akashwani Square in Nagpur and put up a banner demanding statehood for Vidarbha region. So much so that the fire brigade and police personnel rushed to scene to bring down the AAP activists indulging in the “Sholay-type” agitation.
Talking to media persons after hoisting Vidarbha flat at a function in Nagpur, Aney said that the movement for separate Vidarbha State was fast gaining momentum and that it was the third year that the activists from the region had hoisted the Vidarbha flag.
“We are not bothered or scared about any political party or group which is opposing the creation of Vidarbha state. Our fight for separate Vidarbha will be further intensified from day one of the commencement of the winter session of state legislature here in the second capital (of Maharashtra) in December,” Aney said.
“Before that, we intend to chalk out a strategy to intensify our agitation for our demand for carving out Vidarbha from Maharashtra,” Aney said.
Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena and MNS, which are opposing creation of separate Vidarbha state, celebrated “Maharashtra Day” celebrations in Nagpur.
While Shiv Sainiks, led by district president Satish Harde, celebrated the day at HB town by raising pro-Maharashtra slogans and burning an effigy of Aney, the MNS organised a Maharashtra flag-hoisting event adjacent to Aney’s programme at Bajaj Nagar Square.