As the political temperature in Mumbai rises in the run-up to the election for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the Thackeray brothers, who have reunited after two decades, have alleged a deep-rooted plot to strip Mumbai of its territory. They have said that the alleged threat to Mumbai's autonomy is now greater than it was during the Samyukta Maharashtra movement in the 1950s.
The Thackerays' political attacks have put the spotlight on the bifurcation of the erstwhile Bombay state into Gujarat and Maharashtra in 1960 on the basis of language.
What Was Samyukta Maharashtra Movement
The state of Bombay formed after the Independence comprised present-day Gujarat, Maharashtra and several parts of Karnataka. In 1956, a reorganisation took place and the areas now in Karnataka were grouped under the Mysore state.
In 1956, a states reorganisation committee recommended a bilingual state covering both Gujarat and Maharashtra and wth Bombay as its capital. This led to massive protests by Marathi speakers who gathered under the Samyukta Maharashtra Committee and demanded a state of their own.
The Creation Of Gujarat and Maharashtra
While the Samyukta Maharashtra Committee was demanding a separate state for Marathi speakers, a similar movement, named Mahagujarat movement, was demanding a separate state for Gujarati speakers. Faced with these protests, the Parliament in April 1960 approved a legislation clearing the formation of two states - Gujarat and Maharashtra.
On May 1, 1960, the Bombay State was dissolved and Gujarat and Maharashtra were formed. Bombay, now Mumbai, became Maharashtra's capital. For Gujarat, a temporary capital was established at Ahmedabad before Gandhinagar was developed.
An Emotive Issue In Maharashtra
The language movement in Maharashtra claimed 107 lives in police action. They are referred to as "Hutatma" (martyrs) and a memorial in their memory has been erected in Mumbai. Political leaders espousing the Marathi Manoos cause repeatedly refer to the sacrifice of Marathi speakers for their linguistic identity. It is against this backdrop that Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray are alleging a deep-rooted conspiracy to move the wealth of Mumbai to Gujarat.
