Seminar in Madikeri Revives Codava Demand for Geo-Political Autonomy, Tribal Status, and Constitutional Recognition
Madikeri: A renewed call for Codava autonomy and tribal recognition resonated from the hills of Kodagu as the Codava National Council (CNC) organised a high-profile seminar near Madikeri, marking 35 years of the organisation's apolitical movement seeking constitutional and cultural safeguards for the Codava people.
Delivering the keynote lecture, Supreme Court advocate and constitutional law expert Vikram Hegde underscored the community's long-standing demands, including geo-political autonomy under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, Scheduled Tribe status, language inclusion in the Eighth Schedule, and protection of traditional land, cultural, and religious rights.
Referring to the Codavas as an 'animistic, mono-ethnic group with deep-rooted ties to their ancestral lands,' Hegde noted that the community met several criteria under both domestic law and international conventions on indigenous peoples, particularly the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). He argued for a 'holistic and historically informed assessment' of the Codavas' demand for Scheduled Tribe classification.
CNC President N.U. Nachappa Kodava, who presided over the seminar, reiterated the community's call for a Codava Autonomous Region (CAR) within the Indian Union—akin to the Gorkha Hill Council or the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils. 'Our aspiration is not secession but dignity—through federal accommodation of our unique identity,' Nachappa said.
The CNC's multi-pronged demands include:
Restoration of hereditary Jamma land rights;
Recognition of Codava Thakk as a scheduled language;
Protection of customary gun rights, granted under the Indian Arms Act since 1963;
Reservation in legislatures akin to arrangements made for cultural minorities in other parts of the country;
Exemption of religious and cultural sites from State intervention.
Citing the dilution of Codava presence in Parliament since the 1967 election of C.M. Poonacha, the seminar highlighted how Kodagu's merger with Karnataka in 1956 eroded the political representation of the community.
Hegde called for serious consideration of Constitutional mechanisms such as inclusion under the Fifth or Sixth Schedule or a new provision like Article 371 tailored for Kodagu. 'Asymmetric federalism is not alien to India—it is the framework by which we have protected many identities. Codavas, with their contributions to national defence and administration, deserve similar recognition,' he said.
The seminar also addressed growing concerns over the application of general laws—such as the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions Act and the SARFAESI Act—which threaten to undermine Codava religious freedom and land tenure.
Senior Karnataka High Court advocate M.T. Nanaiah, supporting the CNC's legal initiatives, emphasised the community's peaceful advocacy over decades. 'Codavas have not resorted to agitation. They have used democratic and legal means. That alone deserves attention from the Centre,' he said.
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