Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Saturday, November 26, 2011
‘Mint’ article on Kodavas and dwindling numbers: KodaguCommunity.com’s view
Fair-skinned, educated and Westernized, they are the Parsis of the south. And their numbers too are declining— from 175,000 in 1992 to 125,000 in 2010 (Bureau of Economics and Statistics). Kodavas, or Coorgis, are concentrated in Coorg, Karnataka, which the British turned into a major district of coffee plantations. The land is also known for its mist-cloaked hills scented with honey, cardamom and oranges.
Kodavas are more numerous than India’s Parsis, Bahá’ís and Jews but that’s no solace. “We might vanish by 2030,” says Chepudira M. Thilak Subbaiah, president of the Kodava Samaja Bangalore that held its centenary celebrations in early November. “Young Kodavas are educated workaholics and don’t care about families. They don’t want more than one child.” According to Subbaiah, Bangalore has the largest population of Kodavas (35,000) after Coorg (70,000).
“The concern is not so much of losing at a numbers game,” says Sarita Mandanna, whose debut novel Tiger Hills was set in Coorg at the turn of the 20th century, “but the risk of losing an entire way of life, and the land as we once knew it.”
Kodavas are warrior-caste Hindus but their festivals and rituals are different. They have no priest, no holy fire and no dowry in weddings. They are great pork eaters. They worship Kaveri, the river that originates in Coorg. With a literacy rate estimated at 80%, their vocabulary is a mix of Persian, Sanskrit, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu. Almost everyone has an estate—it could be 1 acre or 500 acres. Some say they migrated from the Kurd region in West Asia, others claim they are descendants of Alexander’s army. Traditionally a martial race, they have produced army icons like K.S. Thimayya and K.M. Cariappa. Other notable Kodavas are athlete Ashwini Nachappa and VJ Nikhil Chinappa. (more)
Kodavas are more numerous than India’s Parsis, Bahá’ís and Jews but that’s no solace. “We might vanish by 2030,” says Chepudira M. Thilak Subbaiah, president of the Kodava Samaja Bangalore that held its centenary celebrations in early November. “Young Kodavas are educated workaholics and don’t care about families. They don’t want more than one child.” According to Subbaiah, Bangalore has the largest population of Kodavas (35,000) after Coorg (70,000).
“The concern is not so much of losing at a numbers game,” says Sarita Mandanna, whose debut novel Tiger Hills was set in Coorg at the turn of the 20th century, “but the risk of losing an entire way of life, and the land as we once knew it.”
Kodavas are warrior-caste Hindus but their festivals and rituals are different. They have no priest, no holy fire and no dowry in weddings. They are great pork eaters. They worship Kaveri, the river that originates in Coorg. With a literacy rate estimated at 80%, their vocabulary is a mix of Persian, Sanskrit, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu. Almost everyone has an estate—it could be 1 acre or 500 acres. Some say they migrated from the Kurd region in West Asia, others claim they are descendants of Alexander’s army. Traditionally a martial race, they have produced army icons like K.S. Thimayya and K.M. Cariappa. Other notable Kodavas are athlete Ashwini Nachappa and VJ Nikhil Chinappa. (more)
Friday, November 18, 2011
Wow, people of Kodagu are now protesting
Protest over desecration of the statue of the late Field Marshal K M Cariappa in Madikeri. (Photo source: Mangalorean.com)
KC writes: It is encouraging to know that people of Kodagu are coming-of-age by protesting against Field Marshall K M Cariappa's statue desecration that happened last Monday. Without mincing words, statue desecration should be condemned and the culprits should be punished for belittling the deeds of a great man.
What is more encouraging in the whole episode is the fact that people of Kodagu have joined hands to protest in unison. Till now, the normal complaint has been that people of the district are too laid back and don’t believe in fighting for their rights unlike people from other parts of Karnataka.
Now, it is up to the people of Kodagu to fight in unison for the following:
A crying baby gets its milk. If people of Kodagu sit quietly and wait for issues to get resolved on its own, then god save us. Instead of being called Scotland of India, Kodagu might slip into being called ‘Africa of Karnataka’.
Act before it is too late.
What is more encouraging in the whole episode is the fact that people of Kodagu have joined hands to protest in unison. Till now, the normal complaint has been that people of the district are too laid back and don’t believe in fighting for their rights unlike people from other parts of Karnataka.
Now, it is up to the people of Kodagu to fight in unison for the following:
1. Karnataka gets a sum Rs. 10,000 crores from Kodagu by way of taxes and revenue, but the government hardly gives 20% in return for development of Kodagu. Is this fair?Finally, if Kodagu has good infrastructure, more companies will set up business, tourism will flourish, more jobs will be on offer and less people will migrate to bigger cities. Quality of life will improve by leaps and bounds.
2. Roads in Kodagu are in pretty bad shape except for the highway passing through Kushalnagar and Madikeri. How many years can you keep quiet travelling on bumpy and potholed roads?
3. Kodagu is being promoted as a major tourist designation by Karnataka. Isn’t it only fair that infrastructure is take care too?
4. River Cauvery takes care of water requirements of Mysore-Mandya region, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry. But, unfortunately Madikeri faces acute water scarcity in summer months every year. Isn’t this ironical? Can you do something for the backyard?
A crying baby gets its milk. If people of Kodagu sit quietly and wait for issues to get resolved on its own, then god save us. Instead of being called Scotland of India, Kodagu might slip into being called ‘Africa of Karnataka’.
Act before it is too late.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Proposal for central university in Madikeri with a focus on Kodavology
BANGALORE: For the dwindling Kodava population, here's something to rejoice. The government will send a proposal to the Centre to start a central university at Madikeri, with emphasis on Kodavology.
Higher education minister V S Acharya told reporters after the Karnataka State Higher Education Council meeting on Wednesday that they would send a proposal to the Centre. The Codava National Council had requested that they start a subject that deals with their culture. This university will focus on it, apart from having other subjects. Kodavology will look into the culture, ethnicity and history of this group.
The government will also look into providing scholarships to deserving candidates and not restrict it to marginalized groups. "We are looking at private-public partnership for scholarships. We'll hold talks with the UGC and ministry of social justice to see if we can get any tax exemption. We also want to extend it to students from private colleges instead of restricting it to government colleges," the minister said.
The council also decided that every time a new sectoral university on fishery, horticulture and veterinary science is opened, the advice of the ICAR would be taken into consideration.
The higher education council has also suggested the formation of a small committee comprising vice-chancellors to equalize degrees from different universities to make the merit list in the admission process more transparent and simple.
Higher education minister V S Acharya told reporters after the Karnataka State Higher Education Council meeting on Wednesday that they would send a proposal to the Centre. The Codava National Council had requested that they start a subject that deals with their culture. This university will focus on it, apart from having other subjects. Kodavology will look into the culture, ethnicity and history of this group.
The government will also look into providing scholarships to deserving candidates and not restrict it to marginalized groups. "We are looking at private-public partnership for scholarships. We'll hold talks with the UGC and ministry of social justice to see if we can get any tax exemption. We also want to extend it to students from private colleges instead of restricting it to government colleges," the minister said.
The council also decided that every time a new sectoral university on fishery, horticulture and veterinary science is opened, the advice of the ICAR would be taken into consideration.
The higher education council has also suggested the formation of a small committee comprising vice-chancellors to equalize degrees from different universities to make the merit list in the admission process more transparent and simple.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
‘Patt Potti’ from Kodava Brats
BANGALORE: The picturesque Coorg aka Kodagu is renowned for its food, hockey, hospitality and unique culture. Part of the robust culture is also its music — the traditional ‘Valaga’ is a common feature in Kodava marriages. Besides, there are folksongs sung in ‘Kodava Thakk’ that revolves around their culture and folklore. The other ‘side’ of their music is where the fun is: ‘parody’ songs laced with everyday situations, love stories and even alcohol. Like most traditional items, sadly these days not much of it is heard as it used to be. At a time when not many venture into the Kodava music scene, especially when it comes to releasing albums, a group of four ‘brats’ has dared to do so.
‘Kodava Brats’, that is how they named the band, has two techies, an operational analyst and a finance executive from Bangalore. The outfit released their album ‘Patt Potti’ (a box full of songs) early this month in Coorg.
“We feel Kodavas have got an extraordinary talent in music, but the exposure and public reach is sparse. So we decided to bring it to light and keep it alive,” says Vinu Uthappa, the vocalist, when asked about the motivating factor behind the release.
‘Patt Potti’ consists of eight originals and two remixes, including songs such as ‘Kodava naad’ and ‘Naanor Kodava’ that revolve around the themes of ‘being a proud Kodava’. Other compositions touch up on hockey, beautiful Kodava women, college love stories and of course ‘Kall’ (alcohol).
“We consider our work to be Kodava pop with a blend of folkish touch,” says Rashi, the lyricist.
The songs definitely have a ‘Kodava feel’ with the help of lyrics, style and also a ‘spoonful’ of classic Kodava tune. The moment you start listening to the songs even a non-Kodava will be able to clearly identify the ‘language’, thanks to the vocalist whose chords belt out the message that he is unmistakably a Kodava. Also the clear diction is something that is noteworthy. As the name of the album suggests, it’s a ‘collection/box full of songs’ and is not exactly genre specific. While some songs have an upbeat feel, others can be termed hopeful ‘teen pop’ music.
The four have been planning something similar for the last two years. The band has no instrument players as such. “We write songs and we tune it vocally. Then we get help from drummer and lead guitarist of Agam (a Carnatic band) Ganesh Nagarajan and Praveen Kumar,” says Rashi. Once the band members come to a definitive conclusion, then they belt out the tunes vocally and then get musicians to custommake their music.
When asked if their music has gone down well with the audience, Shabarish says, “Our first performance was at the Coorg Institute of Technology in Ponnampet and the response was awesome. Students started ‘liking’ our Facebook posts and many have bought our CDs.”
They also performed at the Kodava Centenary Celebrations held in Bangalore and “received tremendous support”.
The message they want to give out to Kodavas through their music is “not to forget our mother land, mother tongue and our culture”. “Kodagu is rich in culture and heritage it’s highly respected and envied. We have to strive to keep it serene,” says Achaiah. And the most important thing to be done by Kodavas is to support youngsters who come up with innovative and creative ideas and spread the word, says Vinu, before saying ‘Sari andaka kanga’ (goodbye).
‘Kodava Brats’, that is how they named the band, has two techies, an operational analyst and a finance executive from Bangalore. The outfit released their album ‘Patt Potti’ (a box full of songs) early this month in Coorg.
“We feel Kodavas have got an extraordinary talent in music, but the exposure and public reach is sparse. So we decided to bring it to light and keep it alive,” says Vinu Uthappa, the vocalist, when asked about the motivating factor behind the release.
‘Patt Potti’ consists of eight originals and two remixes, including songs such as ‘Kodava naad’ and ‘Naanor Kodava’ that revolve around the themes of ‘being a proud Kodava’. Other compositions touch up on hockey, beautiful Kodava women, college love stories and of course ‘Kall’ (alcohol).
“We consider our work to be Kodava pop with a blend of folkish touch,” says Rashi, the lyricist.
The songs definitely have a ‘Kodava feel’ with the help of lyrics, style and also a ‘spoonful’ of classic Kodava tune. The moment you start listening to the songs even a non-Kodava will be able to clearly identify the ‘language’, thanks to the vocalist whose chords belt out the message that he is unmistakably a Kodava. Also the clear diction is something that is noteworthy. As the name of the album suggests, it’s a ‘collection/box full of songs’ and is not exactly genre specific. While some songs have an upbeat feel, others can be termed hopeful ‘teen pop’ music.
The four have been planning something similar for the last two years. The band has no instrument players as such. “We write songs and we tune it vocally. Then we get help from drummer and lead guitarist of Agam (a Carnatic band) Ganesh Nagarajan and Praveen Kumar,” says Rashi. Once the band members come to a definitive conclusion, then they belt out the tunes vocally and then get musicians to custommake their music.
When asked if their music has gone down well with the audience, Shabarish says, “Our first performance was at the Coorg Institute of Technology in Ponnampet and the response was awesome. Students started ‘liking’ our Facebook posts and many have bought our CDs.”
They also performed at the Kodava Centenary Celebrations held in Bangalore and “received tremendous support”.
The message they want to give out to Kodavas through their music is “not to forget our mother land, mother tongue and our culture”. “Kodagu is rich in culture and heritage it’s highly respected and envied. We have to strive to keep it serene,” says Achaiah. And the most important thing to be done by Kodavas is to support youngsters who come up with innovative and creative ideas and spread the word, says Vinu, before saying ‘Sari andaka kanga’ (goodbye).
(Photo and text: Bangalore Mirror)
Monday, November 14, 2011
Bah, not a single Kodava player in Indian hockey team now…
It is no secret that playing hockey comes naturally to the Kodavas. The national sport is a passion for them and many of the great Indian players hail from Kodagu. MP Ganesh, MM Somaya, CS Poonacha, AB Subbaiah, BK Subramani, PK Kalaiah and KK Poonacha are some among them.
Even now, Kodagu continues to produce hockey players in large numbers and there is always representation in the Indian team. But what attracts Kodavas to hockey? Former Indian captain and coach Ganesh explains: “Kodavas have a strong tradition of serving in the armed forces from the British era. Hockey was popular in the army then. At that time, only the army got to represent the country. So, our community has a strong liking for the game.”
Like many other players, Ganesh says he is what he is because of hockey.
“Hockey is life for me. I am known and recognised, thanks to this great game. It has taught me a lot of values in life,” he says. Having played for India in the World Cup and Olympics when the country was at its best in world hockey, Ganesh is not happy with the current state of the sport in the country. The number of players from Kodagu in the national team has come down slightly and he urges more kids to play hockey seriously. (more)
Even now, Kodagu continues to produce hockey players in large numbers and there is always representation in the Indian team. But what attracts Kodavas to hockey? Former Indian captain and coach Ganesh explains: “Kodavas have a strong tradition of serving in the armed forces from the British era. Hockey was popular in the army then. At that time, only the army got to represent the country. So, our community has a strong liking for the game.”
Like many other players, Ganesh says he is what he is because of hockey.
“Hockey is life for me. I am known and recognised, thanks to this great game. It has taught me a lot of values in life,” he says. Having played for India in the World Cup and Olympics when the country was at its best in world hockey, Ganesh is not happy with the current state of the sport in the country. The number of players from Kodagu in the national team has come down slightly and he urges more kids to play hockey seriously. (more)
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Save Kodavas, we can save the tigers later
BANGALORE: Kodavas, a distinctive race in Karnataka, have often been dubbed 'tigers' largely because of the courage, honour and loyalty shown by two popular generals of independent India, Field Marshal K M Cariappa and General K S Thimayya.
However, like real tigers, they too are now facing the threat of extinction. According to a recent census by the Karnataka unit of the Bureau of Economics and Statistics, the population of Kodavas has alarmingly dwindled from 1.5 lakh in 2001 to 1.25 lakh in 2011. This at a time when the human population is growing at an alarmingly fast rate. If this situation continues , community leaders fear that Kodavas, who are largely concentrated in Kodagu (70,000), Bangalore (30,000) and Mysore (15,000) will be wiped out by 2030, considering the slow population growth rate in recent times. (more)
However, like real tigers, they too are now facing the threat of extinction. According to a recent census by the Karnataka unit of the Bureau of Economics and Statistics, the population of Kodavas has alarmingly dwindled from 1.5 lakh in 2001 to 1.25 lakh in 2011. This at a time when the human population is growing at an alarmingly fast rate. If this situation continues , community leaders fear that Kodavas, who are largely concentrated in Kodagu (70,000), Bangalore (30,000) and Mysore (15,000) will be wiped out by 2030, considering the slow population growth rate in recent times. (more)
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Bus shelter today, gone tomorrow
YASH writes: A tea shop owner near Anekadu reserve forest along the Suntikoppa - Kushalnagar state highway has demolished a bus shelter to make his house bigger. Though the shelter was barely used, it used to be the only source of cover during rains for bike riders and the local people. Buses used to stop there only because of the simple reason that the bus stop was there. The tea shop owner now has removed the wooden planks and tiles from the bus shelter and all that is remaining are the four pillars which might be demolished soon. Concerned authorities should look into the encroachment.
Monday, November 7, 2011
This lady hockey umpire from Kodagu is going places
KODAGUCOMMUNITY.COM EXCLUSIVE: Anupama Puchimanda is the first Indian woman hockey umpire to officiate in the Junior World Cup, Commonwealth and Asian Games. She is also the first international woman umpire from Karnataka. Hailing from Kodagu, Anupama was an attacking mid-fielder during her playing days and has represented Karnataka in the sub-junior, senior women's National hockey championships. She has also played for Mangalore University at the All-India Inter-University Championships.
After passing the Karnataka State Hockey Association umpiring exam, she officiated for the first time at the Cheppudira family hockey tournament in 2000. Anupama hasn’t looked back since. She is the first woman hockey umpire from India to officiate in 75 international matches.
Anupama officiated in the recently concluded Lanco International Super Series 9s hockey match in Perth, Australia. Asked about the experience in the tournament which was experimented as a bold and fascinating format, she says the game was very fast. The tournament featured international teams, with Australia, India, Pakistan, New Zealand, and Malaysia competing in the men’s and women’s competition.
Fitness, concentration, match preparation, reading the game, positioning and clarity are important in umpiring, Anupama says, adding her role models in umpiring are Satinder Kumar (India) and John Wright (South Africa) in the men’s version and Carolina De Funente (Argentina) and Marelize De Klerk (South Africa) in the women’s.
What is her advice to girls who would want to take up hockey umpiring? If you like umpiring, just go for it, says the 31-year-old Anupama who dreams of officiating in the Olympics one day.
In a cricket-crazy India, it requires a lot of passion and conviction to purse a passion like hockey umpiring. KodaguCommunity.com wishes Anupama all the best and hopes to see her officiating matches in the Olympics in the years to come.
