VJAS to join ‘Vidarbha Agitation’ on 3 & 4 Jan'10.

Fresh initiative on Vidarbha statehood -VJAS to join ‘Vidarbha agitation’ on 3 & 4 Jan'10.

NAGPUR: 1^ST January .2010

The Union home minister P Chidambaram announcement that the UPA government ha shown seriousness on Telangana statehood and is trying to work out a mechanism in the January 5 all-party meeting has once again forced cong. Leaders start fresh initiative On Sunday, party leaders led by city congress MP Vilas Muttemwar(09422125000) will sit on a ‘Dharna’ in front of the Gandhi statue at Variety Square in a peaceful agitation to demand that Vidarbha statehood demand should be considered along with Telangana,as the demand for Vidarbha is much older and stronger than that of Telangana and in the Fazal ali Commission had classified Vidarbha as “viable, stable and suplus,’when rejecting proposals for Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand,” said an appeal signed by Nagpur (south) MLA Dinanath Padole, former mayors Vikas Thakre, Naresh Gawande and Kishore Dorle and Bijju Pande. They have appealed to all pro-Vidarbha activists to join the peaceful agitation on Sunday’

VJAS the pro-vidarbha statehood group has decided to join the agitation on 3^rd Jan. in Nagpur . VJAS leader Kishore Tiwari today spoken to congress MP Vilas Muttemwar and extended the support to his very sincere efforts to give justice the dying people of vidarbha.

UPA Chief should look at the apathy shown in last 50 years, people of Vidarbha waited in vain to see development of the region remaining in Maharashtra. But this never happened and the region remains most under-developed in the country.

History of unjust with vidarbha as reported by congress MP Vilas Muttemwar in letter to smt.sonia Gandhi last week and

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"In 1888, the British administration recommended formation of Vidarbha state to then commissionerate. In 1918, the constitutional review committee, the Dar committee and JVP panel had agreed to grant it statehood. In 1955, the States Reorganisation Commission (SRC) comprising Justice Fazal Ali and Pandit Karzuru had unanimously recommended carving out Vidarbha state as it would be viable, stable and surplus," Muttemwar wrote.

He added that in 1988, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had realised the injustice meted out to the region had appointed now NCP leader PA Sangma to ascertain the feasibility of restoring statehood and, interestingly, he had also recommended its separation.

In 1996, a delegation of senior Congress leaders including working committee members and AICC general secretaries like Ahmed Patel, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Meira Kumar, K Karunakaran, Rajesh Pilot, Balram Jakhar, Mukul Wasnik, Vasant Sathe, NKP Salve, Sudhakarrao Naik and several prominent leaders from Vidarbha, besides Muttemwar had met with then PM HD Deve Gowda and submitted a representation for restoration of Vidarbha's statehood as recommended by SRC.

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VJAS recalled Vidarbha’s frequent support to Congress that the party has been coming to power in Maharashtra since 1960. ‘We are totally convinced with the view of congress MP Vilas Muttemwar who said that the time has come for a separate state if not.,then the next generation and history will not forgive you if you fail to meet the aspirations and developmental dream of the people who see the separate state as the only solution now.even Father of Constitution Dr B R Ambedkar supported the idea of Vidarbha state as demand for separate Vidarbha was older than Telangana and a number of senior leaders, MPs, legislators and grass-root level workers belonging to this region had advocated restoration of statehood,as Vidarbha was not able to develop economically despite being part of a progressive state like Maharashtra. This was evident from the fact that over 7,000 farmers committed suicides due to lack of irrigation facilities.Further, five districts were facing problems of Naxal-infestation, besides numerous other problems like unemployment, load-shedding and lack of industries. The people are not separatists or destructive minded. However, if it is neglected further, the people could go to any possible extent to fight for their rights, it is fact ”,"Tiwari added.

VJAS is also attending the meeting called ex-MP and veteran dalit leader and grand son of Father of Constitution Dr B R Ambedkar , Balasaheb Ambedkar on 4^th Jan. in Nagpur,Tiwari informed.