Vidarbha

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Map of the districts comprising the Vidarbha region.

Vidarbha is the north-eastern region of Maharashtra state, now forming two divisions (Nagpur and Amravati). It is less economically prosperous compared to the rest of Maharashtra^[1]. The main cash crops of the region are cotton, oranges, and soyabean. Traditional crops are sorghum(jowar), pearl millet (bajra), and rice.

1 Natural Resources
2 History
3 State Movement
4 Mythological Importance
5 Web References

[edit] Natural Resources

Vidarbha region is rich in forest and mineral resources. Its lush green deciduous forests are home to a variety of flora and fauna. These attract a large number of visitors each year. In fact, all of the tiger reserves in Maharashtra are situated in Vidarbha. They are Melghat Tiger Reserve in Amravati district, Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve in Chandrapur district, and Pench Tiger Reserve in Nagpur district. Although, western region of the Vidarbha is poor in the natural resources in comparison with the eastern region.Maharashtra's oldest National Park created in 1955, the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve. It is also one of India's 25 Project Tiger Reserve. The National Park is 623 sq. kms in area, consisting of two forested rectangles of the Tadoba and Andhari range. Along with around 50 tigers, Tadoba Tiger Reserve is a home for rare Indian wildlife like, Leopards, Sloth Bears, Gaur, Wild Dogs, Hyenas, Civet and Jungle cats, and many species of Indian deer like Sambar, Cheetal, Nilgai, and Barking Deer. The Tadoba lake sustains the Marsh Crocodile, which were once common all over Maharashtra. Tadoba is also an ornithologist's paradise with a varied diversity of aquatic birdlife, and Raptors. Thickly clad hills form the north and western boundary of the Tiger Reserve. To the southwest is a huge lake, which acts as buffer in between the Park Forest and the extensive farmland extending right up to the Irai Lake. Adjacent to the core forested hills is the Chichghat valley, in which is situated the forest lodge of www.tigertrails.in The Tadoba Tiger Reserve is an undisturbed forest as it is not visited by many tourists. Tadoba Tiger Reserve is open throughout the year, and so is the lodge. The camp is three hour road journey from Nagpur, in Maharashtra. Please note that the park stays closed every Tuesday.

[edit] History

Nagpur was the capital of the Bhonsle dynasty of Marathas, who in the mid eighteenth century created a state that covered much of east-central India. After their defeat in the Third Anglo-Maratha War in 1818, the Bhonsle dominions were reduced to Nagpur division, which was taken over by the British in 1853 when the last Maharaja of Nagpur died without a male heir. The Nagpur division became a part of the British Raj's Central Provinces in 1861. Amravati division, formerly known as Berar, was administered by the Nizam of Hyderabad until 1853, when the British took over governance of the province under the charge of misgovernance by the Nizam. Berar was added to the Central Provinces in 1903. After Indian Independence, the Central Provinces and Berar became the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Vidarbha was transferred to Bombay state in 1956 to unify all Marathi-speaking areas, and became part of Maharashtra state in 1960, when Bombay state was split into the linguistic states of Maharashtra and Gujarat.

[edit] State Movement

In recent years, there has been a movement to separate from Maharashtra. This is based in part on the feeling of neglect within Maharashtra and in part on assertion of cultural identity. People have seen that the region has fallen behind others in attracting investment and development. The region is comparatively poorly served by roads, irrigation facilities, and educational infrastructure. However, political movements launched towards attaining statehood have lost steam as the leaders were seen to be opportunistic. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh toured Vidarbha as part of his efforts to oversee the progress of rural regeneration schemes, and has announced a rehabilitation package for the region.^[2] Vidarbha comprises the districts of Nagpur, Amravati, Chandrapur, Akola, Wardha, Buldana, Yavatmal, Bhandara, Gondia, Washim, and Gadchiroli.

Ramayana has the reference of Vidarbha as one on the Janapadas at that time.

[edit] Mythological Importance

More than cultural distinctness from the rest of Maharashtra, Vidarbha has evolved historically in a different fashion. Mention of Vidarbha in many mythological stories also indicate this:

The marriage of Agastya and Lopamudra.
Rukmini-haran by lord Krishna
Kundinpur, the mythological capital of Vidarbha has been mentioned in Mahabharata
The story of king Nala and Damayanti, also in the Mahabharata.

Present Situation:

Vidarbha has seen a spate of suicides in recent times because of the falling Minimum Support Price for cotton cultivation. The problems are manifold and have been traced to the lopsided policies of World Trade Organisation and developed nations, primarily because of the subsidies being given to the cotton farmers in the developed countries. The whole region is plagued by school drop outs, widows left in the wake of suicides, loan sharks and exploitation of the vulnerable groups.

The government had promised to increase minimum rate for cotton by approximately Rs 100 ($2) but reneged on its promise by reducing the Minimum Support Price further leading to more suicides.

On 1 July,2006 the Prime Minister of India ,Manmohan Singh announced Rs. 3,750-crore relief package for Vidharbha, Maharashtra. The package, announced on will help farmers in six districts of the region.

However, not everybody is convinced that the aid is getting through where it is needed. Activists covering the region feel that a lot more need to be done. Vidarbha