Geopolitical autonomy and special hill council status is the constitutional right of the Kodava people: MLC A. H. Vishwanath
Legislative Council Member and former MP A. H. Vishwanath said that geopolitical autonomy and special hill council status is the constitutional right of the Kodava people. He was addressing the 30th anniversary of the universal “Kailpodh” festival organized by the Kodava National Council (CNC) at Capital Village on the outskirts of Madikeri.
He said that Kodavas, with a population of less than one lakh, deserve statutory protection similar to that extended to indigenous groups in the North Eastern region and the Visakhapatnam Hill Tracts. Stressing that Kodava land, which existed as a separate state until 1956, must be restored with special status, he called for self-governance of Kodavas under Article 244.
CNC President N.U. Nachappa said that war and hunting skills are ingrained in the Kodava heritage and that owning weapons is a hereditary and eternal right. He emphasized that the Kodava homeland, culture, rituals, and traditions must be safeguarded through constitutional and statutory protection.
The CNC passed resolutions seeking ST status for Kodavas, inclusion of Kodava Takk in the Eighth Schedule, protection of folk heritage under UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list, recognition of the Kaveri River as a legal entity, and establishment of memorials for Kodava martyrs and victims of past tragedies. The meeting also resolved to demand an Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Kodagu, similar to states in the North East, to protect ancestral lands and cultural continuity.
It was announced that the 35th “Kodava National Day” will be held at Capital Village on November 26, where further demands for autonomy and protection will be presented. A large number of community members, leaders, and supporters participated in the festival, which featured rituals, traditional worship of weapons, and cultural programs.
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