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Kodava Samaja to celebrate its 100 years

The Kodava Samaja, Bangalore, is all set to celebrate its 100th anniversary in the city this weekend, where it will not only celebrate the occasion but also dwell upon the various problems that are plaguing it.

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The Kodava Samaja, Bangalore, is all set to celebrate its 100th anniversary in the city this weekend, where it will not only celebrate the occasion but also dwell upon the various problems that are plaguing it.

The main problems that the Kodavas list out are their dwindling population and the government’s apathy to the lack of development in their district, Kodagu.

“Give us the facilities. Kodagu contributes more than Rs10,000 crore to the state coffers but does not have good roads and institutions,” said president of the samaja, Cheppudira M Subbaiah.

The discussions will revolve around Kodagu’s culture, sports, forest management, agriculture and other issues. Recommendations of the experts will be submitted to the chief minister soon after the three-day extravaganza.

The Kodavas are peeved because of under-representation in governance.

Subbaiah said Kodagu shares one member of Parliament with Mysore and has just two members representing it in the legislative assembly. There is not enough representation to voice their concerns. He added that their demands for minority status, too, have yielded no result.

“People perceive us as rich. Compared with other districts, we are more literate, the per capita income is higher than other regions of the state. However, a lot needs to be done for Coorg and its people,” he said.

The people of Kodagu are holding on to their ancestral property even as rich land buyers from “outside” are turning farmlands into resorts.

Fun and frolic
The centenary celebration is not all about discussing problems. Kodagu’s culture will be on display at the event. However, there will be a touch of new to the old practices.

Seetha Aiyana, the vice-president of the samaja, said there would be a fashion show by the Kodava boys and girl. “Our many folk songs and dances will be presented. Old tunes will be made more upbeat, the steps will be anglicised. We are mixing modern and traditional just to add colour and to keep it interesting, especially for the youngsters,” she added.

During the three days of the Nooranda Namme, as the centenary celebrations are called in Kodava language, about 100 personalities from different fields will be honoured. There will be sports competitions, exhibition of artefacts and traditional spread.

Subbaiah said they are expecting the participation of about 10,000 to 12,000 people. He said many people were coming from Coorg to be part of this event.

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