This week last year witnessed a soul-stirring march with rank and file amongst the Kodavas taking part – an expression of single-minded devotion on reasserting our identity, hard earned by our ancestors who had displayed unwavering leadership to all the residents of Kodagu. It was a movement that was ignited at the grassroots level without any political influence or individuals bearing a torch. It was truly a community event and it would be fallacious or an insult for individuals staking a claim on responsibility for the event.
One year after Kodavaame Baalo, the memories remain as vivid as ever – unfaded, unshaken, and deeply moving. It was not merely a march; it was a historic moment when Kodagu walked with conscience, discipline, and unity, setting an example that deserves to be remembered and recorded.
What touched hearts most was a sight that words still struggle to describe, an elderly woman moving forward in a wheelchair, determined to be part of the march. Frail in body yet firm in spirit, she became a powerful symbol of commitment beyond age. On that day, age truly became just a number. Elderly men and women, children, youth, and adults stood shoulder to shoulder, proving that love for the land and respect for our ancestors does not retire with time.
The final day of the march was unforgettable. The streets witnessed history unfolding calmly, without noise or chaos. Thousands walked with remarkable discipline, no pushing, no shouting, no confusion. There were no traffic jams with no inconvenience to the public. It was a rare demonstration of protest carried out with grace. That final day entered history when Kodavas and Kodava Bhashikas marched together as one people, asserting a collective identity that could no longer be ignored.
What made Kodavaame Baalo truly exceptional was its orderliness. This was not a movement driven by anger, but by responsibility. Discipline spoke louder than slogans. The march reflected the true character of Kodagu, strength with restraint, protest with dignity.
Equally striking was the respect shown towards the environment. Plastic waste was not scattered on the streets. Bottles and wrappers were collected and disposed of properly. When the march passed, the roads remained clean, bearing no scars of a massive gathering. It was a silent yet powerful statement: those who speak for the land will never harm it.
The solidarity on the streets was overwhelming. Strangers became companions. Generations merged into one voice, and the collective conscience of Kodagu found expression through calm footsteps rather than disruptive noise. It reminded everyone that unity need not be aggressive to be effective.
Kodavaame Baalo may have ended as a march, but it continues as a memorable reminder – that movements rooted in truth, discipline, and respect leave behind not destruction, but inspiration. That final day did not just make headlines; it made history.
So the moot point is where should this lead us to in consolidating what represents the REAL KODAGU. At the time when Kodagu merged with then Mysore State, Kodagu was lauded and held as an example of governance with the highest standards of jurisprudence, good education leading to job opportunities across Kodagu’s borders, solid cultural anchoring with all returning to their AineManes for key festivals and a strong sense of “community”. Hard work exemplified the idiom of work is worship. Nammes were timed and held with responsibility so as not to affect the work ethic.
It is unfortunate that these strong tenets have become diluted over the last 50 years. There is a serious change in demographics and associated implications that threatens the very integrity of Kodavaame. Irresponsible political manoeuvring and divisive voices of self-appointed local leaders and custodians of culture, has diluted the communal and strong secular bonds. The community is larger than any individual seeking misplaced fame. Higher education and much needed skills development has fallen – look at the progress made in Mangalore, Udupi (Tulunad) – we should be emulating their success with dignity of labour. Infrastructure is woefully lacking and irresponsible tourism is taking its toll. Resorts are coming up at an alarming threat and yet sadly the land is being SOLD by Kodavas.
It is still not too late to gather our collective resolve and create a much needed common platform of priorities. One would have thought that The Akhila Kodava Samaja should be ideally placed to make this happen. We are waiting for the community to act as one and rise above petty one-upmanship. Retired Armed Forces personnel, at all levels, are conspicuous by their absence in participating in community platforms – they can provide much needed well thought out plans, executed with discipline and single-minded purpose.
AFTER ALL – THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT KODAVAAME BAALO NADP REPRESENTS – Peace, Identity, Harmonious Communal Well-being and long term prosperity in Kodagu.
AND WE MUST ACT WITH ONE VOICE.:
KODAGU FIRST
ALWAYS AND EVERYTIME
