On the eve of his proposed dharna for grant of statehood to Vidarbha, veteran Congress leader and city MP Vilas Muttemwar has dashed off
a letter to prime minister Manmohan Singh seeking an official meeting over the demand.
"I deeply appreciate home minister P Chidambaram's views on the Telangana issue, and his assurance that the all-party meet called on January 5 is not a flip-flop move, but an effort to devise a strategy for creation of the separate state by dividing Andhra Pradesh," noted the seven-term Congress MP. "I would take this opportunity to raise the long-pending demand for a Vidarbha state. After the new developments on Telangana, expectations of the people in Vidarbha have heightened," wrote Muttemwar, reminding the PM that the party had in the past linked the demand for two states.
"Sentiments of the people here are very strong and there is a mass support to the statehood demand. I would like you to call a separate official meeting to discuss the Vidarbha issue," Muttemwar said in his letter to the PM. Alternatively, he has asked for an appointment with the PM to convince him about the viability and necessity for creating a separate state out of Maharashtra.
Earlier, in a letter written to party President Sonia Gandhi he had given a historical perspective of the Vidarbha demand and how for ages the region had enjoyed a distinct culture and identity. The fact that it had merged with Maharashtra was more out of political expediency of that time on an appeal made in the national interest by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
Meanwhile, several organisations including Vidarbha Industries Association, Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti, Yuva Sangh and Nag Vidarbha Andolan Samiti have expressed their support to Muttemwar's agitation. Prominent leaders, including Vidarbha Veer Jambuwantrao Dhote, Wardha MP Datta Meghe, Gadchiroli MP Marotrao Kowase and city Congress president Jaiprakash Gupta have confirmed that they will visit the dharna site at Variety Square in Sitabuldi to extend support to the Congress leader.
The MP's dharna will in a way kick off the pro-Vidarbha agitation as it will be followed by all party meetings called by Bhartiya Republican Party Bahujan Mahasangh chief Prakash Ambedkar on January 4 and that by RPI (united) led by Ramdas Athavale on January 11.
"As a principle, VIA has always believed smaller states are better managed and good for development. But we understand that creation of states is a political process and takes time. Being a non-political organisation we can only hope the demand is accepted," said Pravin Tapadia, VIA president.
Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti president Kishore Tiwari has given his full support to Muttemwar's agitation and said all those supporting the demand should join the agitation for restoration of the statehood.
Nag Vidarbha Andolan Samiti general secretary Ahmed Kadar and Yuva Sangh's Sunil Chokhare said they supported in principle any agitation supporting creation of Vidarbha state. However, they said they were wary that some individuals should not use it to get closer to power or meet personal goals. Kadar said he and with his activists will be leaving for Delhi to stage a dharna during the all-party meeting to demand that Vidarbha should be considered along with Telangana.