Codavas relentless in saving their heritage

Buttanagal (Kodagu district): The Kodava National Council (CNC) organised a human chain demonstration at Buttanagal Junction today, highlighting the rampant misuse of the Karnataka Land Reforms Amendment Act and its devastating consequences on Kodava culture and the region’s ecology. CNC President N. U. Nachappa voiced strong opposition, condemning land grabs facilitated by loopholes in the 2020-21 amendments, impacting the Kodava heartland, including Perumbadi, Balugodu, Nangala, and Buttanagal.

A major concern raised was the ongoing encroachment by external investors, corporate entities, and resort mafias, who are allegedly exploiting fertile agricultural lands and jeopardising the tributaries of the sacred River Cauvery. Siddaur’s historic BBTC coffee estates, spanning 2,400 acres, are now under threat of urban conversion by powerful external interests. According to CNC, these exploitative developments are destroying green landscapes, contaminating water resources, and undermining Kodava heritage, including sacred spaces like "Mand" and village deities.

Nachappa highlighted a significant case in Nangala, where a businessman from Andhra Pradesh has reportedly acquired 50 acres and plans to construct a massive resort, scaring local residents and threatening essential water catchments. The CNC President also alleged that a prominent Parliament member from South India is using unaccounted wealth to fund real estate acquisitions in Kodava Land, aiming to establish economic corridors and mega-cities at the expense of local communities. Substantial donations are being made to prestigious Kodava clubs to suppress opposition.

The CNC argues that external economic forces are transforming Kodava Land into a playground for urban expansion, negatively affecting agriculture, forest resources, and water systems. The council warns of severe demographic shifts if unchecked migration occurs, with outsiders obtaining local IDs through fraudulent means and becoming beneficiaries of government schemes, thereby destabilising the area’s social fabric.

The CNC further accused resort developers of manipulating regulations to degrade the environment, drawing a direct link to large-scale deforestation and ecological harm. Comparisons were made to Wayanad, Kerala, where similar activities have led to catastrophic landslides and flooding. Nachappa reiterated that only Scheduled Tribe status and self-determination rights for Kodavas can curb the destruction and protect their land.

Echoing the sentiment, CNC members protested against luxury estates and villa projects that are obliterating traditional Kodava home-stay practices and disrespecting the local way of life. The council pointed out the selective application of environmental laws, which are lenient on powerful resort owners but stringent on Kodava farmers. Highlighting corrupt practices, CNC claimed that resort mafias, aided by local and state political support, are destabilising the region.

The protest ended with an urgent call for unity among Kodavas to resist these land reforms and preserve the natural and cultural wealth of Kodava Land.