N.U. Nachappa Calls for Autonomy to Protect Kodava Land, Culture and Heritage

Madikeri, Oct. 7: The Kodava National Council (CNC) organized its fifth peaceful human chain event at Cherambane, demanding geo-political autonomy and self-governance for 'Kodavaland,' as well as the protection of the Kodavas' unique ethnic, cultural, and historical identity.

Presiding over the event, CNC President N.U. Nachappa stated that Kodavaland is not merely a spot on a map; it is a living history and the sacred, traditional homeland of the Kodavas.

He explained that elements such as *Balyamane* (ancestral homes), *Mand* (traditional village grounds), *Devabana* (sacred groves), *Kaimada* (ancestral shrines), *Karona* (ancestral spirits), Talakaveri, the River Kaveri, the Western Ghats mountain ranges, and the region's biodiversity constitute the geography of the Kodavas. Furthermore, he noted that their history is defined by a martial spirit, lineage, customary laws, festivals like *Kailpodh* and *Puthari*, ancestor worship, and a culture centered on weaponry.

He demanded that the Kodavas be recorded and counted separately as a distinct ethnic community in the 2027 national census, noting that they had previously been recognized and enumerated as a distinct ethnic community between 1871 and 1941. Nachappa opined that the distinct identity of the Kodavas has been compromised since the merger of Kodagu with Karnataka in 1956.