Will Marathi Tigers' sink its claws into inter-state ties?

Belagavi: A Marathi feature film, ‘Marathi Tigers’ which is based on sensitive issues related to the boundary dispute between Karnataka and Maharashtra, is set for release on February 6 and has become a cause of concern for the state police.

Several provocative short videos of the film on social media have put the police department in a dilemma as it fears the film, which contained scenes relating to the sensitive boundary dispute, could spark violence. Even as a local resident, Bheema Shankar Patil, filed a PIL with the High Court demanding a stay on the film's release, a team of top police officials from Belagavi held a crucial meeting ahead of the release urging people, particularly leaders of pro-Maharashtra outfits on the border to help maintain peace once the film hits the screens.

The DCP (Law and Order), Anupam Agrawal revealed in Belagavi at a meeting that they had information about  provocative sequences in the film pertaining to the violence which occurred at Yellur over removal of a controversial signboard. He said, such scenes had led to widespread discussions on the social media.

The signboard which said, ‘Yellur Maharashtra state’, displayed at the entrance of Yellur village in Belagavi district for the past some decades was removed by the state government two years ago despite massive resistance from leaders of pro-Maharashtra outfits. The police had to resort to a lathicharge and burst tear gas shells when violence broke out at Yellur over removal of the board that left several people badly injured. Sources in the police department fear that the younger generation of Marathi people could turn violent after seeing such incidents. According to sources, the film portrays the Karnataka government and Kannadigas in bad taste and appeals to Marathi people not to live as slaves here. Such provocative scenes are expected to mislead Marathi people living in Belagavi who have been maintaining cordial relations with Kannadigas for decades now. Belagavi Mayor Kiran Sainak, who hails from Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES),  a pro-Maharashtra outfit, has appealed to people not to get misled by the film if it contains provocative sequences. He feels the Censor Board may have deleted scenes if they were provocative before giving its approval for the film's release.