The Codava National Council (CNC) has advised Kodavas to obtain a Kodava ethnic certificate to strengthen their right to gun exemption under Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution. CNC President N.U. Nachappa stated in a press release that relying solely on Jamma land certificates for gun exemption has led to misuse by outsiders. He said the Kodava ethnic certificate will preserve the integrity of Kodava customs and prevent non-Kodavas from exploiting the system.
Nachappa also highlighted the CNC’s successful legal battle to correct the government’s nomenclature from “Kodagaru” to “Kodava,” a process that culminated in a Karnataka Gazette notification in December 2023. He noted that the CNC is also involved in the ongoing Supreme Court case (SLP Civil No. 2925 of 2022) regarding the Kodava community’s gun exemption rights.
