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THE WAY FORWARD FOR KODAGU: A POLITICAL ROAD MAP

MY POLITICAL WILL AND TESTAMENT

By P.T. Bopanna

The following chapter from my book ‘Rise and Fall of the Coorg State’ (2009) may be considered as my political will and testament.

THE WAY FORWARD FOR KODAGU: A POLITICAL ROAD MAP

Kodagu has not gained from the merger with Karnataka in 1956.

The development of Kodagu district has suffered due to neglect by successive state governments in Karnataka. The restoration of an independent Coorg state though may not be a viable option at this point in time.

Ideally, as an interim measure, the Karnataka Government

could consider the establishment of a Kodagu Autonomous

Council to take care of the developmental needs of Kodagu

district.

The question of granting separate statehood for Kodagu could

be considered only after the Karnataka and Union governments

come to an understanding on the need for restoring the Coorg

State.

The Union Home Ministry’s recent statement that it had

received demands for the creation of 10 new states, including a

representation for the creation of the Coorg State in Karnataka,

has once again revived the debate among the people of Kodagu

on the need for separate statehood.

It was on account of the sustained agitation by the Codava

National Council (CNC) headed by N. U. Nachappa that the

demand for separate statehood for Kodagu has gained momentum

in the last two decades. However, along the way, Nachappa

dropped his demand for separate statehood and began asking

for a homeland for Kodavas.

The Kodavas were the dominant community in Kodagu

and were the “power behind the throne” during the reign of the

Lingayat Rajas and the British. But for rare instances, right

through history, the Kodavas lived in harmony with the other native

communities.

It is possible that Nachappa climbed down from the demand

for separate statehood for Kodagu, to a mere homeland for

Kodavas, under pressure from the media and pro-Kannada

groups.

At present, politicians of various hues have hijacked the

agenda for separate statehood from Nachappa, once the poster

boy of those fighting for separate statehood. Several politicians

in Kodagu, who had opposed the demand for a separate state,

have now joined the bandwagon for statehood.

The way forward could be through a Kodagu Autonomous

Council. The proposed Kodagu Autonomous Council may be

set up on the lines of the Darjeeling Gorkha Autonomous Hill

Council, an autonomous body that looks after the administration

of Darjeeling district in the state of West Bengal.

Source: ‘Rise and Fall of the Coorg State’ by P.T. Bopanna. Rolling Stone Publications, 2009.

Paperback edition of the book Rise and Fall of the Coorg State is available on Amazon. To buy the book, follow the link below:

https://www.amazon.in/Rise-Fall-Coorg-State-Karnatakas/dp/9385741071