Codava National Day in Madikeri on December 2

Codava National Council (CNC) will observe Codava National Day on at Gandhi Maidan in Madikeri December 2.

Addressing reporters in Mangaluru on Tuesday, CNC president N U Nachappa said that the objective of the Codava National Day is to re-insist and rejuvenate the geo-political aspiration for the quest for autonomy and ratify the solidarity for self-determination right of Kodava tribal world.

The theme of this year's congregation is 'Right to Live' and is dedicated to the landslide victims in northwestern Kodagu. The victims should be able to regain their land, he said.

Nachappa urged the Government of India to accord geopolitical autonomy to Kodagu, under the Sixth Schedule of Indian constitution for durable and permanent political solution to the long-standing unrest of the Kodava tribal world. The proper constitutional mechanism should be exercised by the Union government in the interest of justice and equity, he urged.

"Kodagu should be given political autonomy and right for internal political self-determination for Kodava tribes. A permanent political package should be granted to provide Union territory status to Kodava land, under Article 2 and 3 of the Constitution. Kodava martial tribe should be added to the schedule list of out constitution under articles 340 and 342. Kodava Thakk should be included in the eight schedules of the constitution," he said.

Nachappa said that the Devati Parambu genocide by erstwhile Mysore province ruler Tipu Sultan in which maximum Kodava clans lost their lives and the forced merger of Kodagu with Karnataka are the two unfortunate incidents in the history of Kodagu. Kodavas need justice and compensation for these two incidents, he said and alleged that Karnataka is treating Codava land as its internal colony and its native Kodava people as second class citizens.

The ethnographic survey started by the state government following a direction from the Central government has been stalled since December 2016, Nachappa said and sought completion of the survey.