By P.T. Bopanna
It was a proud moment when Kodava men and women nattily dressed participated in the grand march in Kodagu (Coorg) district early this month to assert their identity.
Going back in time, I remember that around 50 years ago, only members of elite Kodava families had access to good education and employment.
With many good schools coming up in Kodagu over the years, Kodava families from modest social background, have been exposed to good education.
Education is a great leveler and these first time graduates with fire in their belly, went on to occupy top corporate jobs, equipped with their professional qualifications.
A little known Kundyolanda family went on to create Guinness World Record for hosting largest field hockey tournament last year. That was a defining moment for many less known families.
Even as I was thinking of how well the community has developed in the recent years, my thought went back to the beheading of a Kodava girl in Somwarpet taluk last year which exposed the fault lines in the Kodava community.
Udiyanda Meena, aged 16 years, a student of Surlabbi school in Somwarpet taluk was beheaded by Monnanda Prakash (32 years) after the girl’s family decided to solemnize their marriage only after the girl completed 18 years which enraged Prakash.
Though Kodavas are considered one of the most highly educated communities in India, there are still Kodavas living in primitive conditions in the areas bordering Somwarpet and Madikeri taluks. The area is known as 7 Naad which consists of the villages of Garvale, Suralabbi, Mutlu, Kumbara Gadige, Kikralli, Munkia and Hammiyala. I had visited some of these villages which were badly affected in the 2018 landslides.
These villages are located in mountainous area with thick forest cover without proper roads. Because of lack of communication with the outside world, Kodava customs are practiced in its pristine form in these villages. Except for a few outsiders, the majority of the inhabitants of these villages are Kodavas.
There are hardly any schools in the area. Meena, who was beheaded was the lone student in the SSLC class.
Earlier, the inhabitants survived by growing paddy. Since the price became non-remunerative, paddy cultivation was stopped. Due to the climatic condition in the area, coffee cultivation was not encouraging.
Due to poverty and lack of education, the menfolk migrated to cities like Mysuru and Bengaluru where they got jobs as security guards. Since Kodavas are exempted from the Indian Arms Act and allowed to carry guns, the menfolk were able to find employment as guards.
Boverianda Nanjamma and Chinnappa, researchers who travelled in the 7-Naad areas, had told this reporter that during their field-visits there to study ainmanes (ancestral homes), they found that Kodava customs, traditional songs and dances have been well preserved there for generations.
It is time the Kodava community woke up to the situation and raise resources to help the less fortunate Kodavas who live in primitive conditions. The government should step in to build infrastructure to develop the economic condition of these inhabitants who live in remote areas.
Of late, many Kodava inhabitants in the area are selling away their lands to outsiders at throwaway prices and migrating to cities.
Many of the Kodava organisations are flush with funds. It is time they use the resources in improving the living standards of these marginalised Kodavas.
Keep aside education and gathering at large scale to show strength…have you looked at home many Kodavas are battling legal civil issues with their own kodava people who have encroached into their land?? Most greedy are our people…
A well-written, informative post… Many still think that the Kodavas are a ‘forward’ community because of our ‘creamy’ layer. There are pockets of backwardness among Kodavas in Kodagu. Such people need to be alleviated.