Codava National Council to Host Seminar on Geo-Political Autonomy and Tribal Rights in Kodagu
Madikeri: In a significant push for regional autonomy and constitutional recognition, the Codava National Council (CNC) is set to organise a seminar this week highlighting its 35-year-long peaceful movement for the political, cultural, and territorial rights of the Codava people.
Speaking to Hand India President of the CNC NU Nachappa, the seminar will address CNC's core demands, including the creation of a Codava Autonomous Region (CAR) under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution — akin to the autonomous councils in the Northeast and the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council. The organisation is also seeking Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the Codavas, whom it identifies as a distinct animistic, mono-ethnic indigenous community.
The keynote speaker for the event is Vikram Hegde, a constitutional lawyer practising in the Supreme Court, who has previously represented the CNC in the landmark Codava Gun Rights case. His lecture will delve into constitutional provisions for regional autonomy, linguistic rights, and the protection of customary practices — subjects he also teaches as a visiting faculty at the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru.
Among the other issues to be discussed at the seminar are:
Restoration of hereditary land rights lost during the rule of the Keladhi dynasty and British colonial administration.
Inclusion of Codava Thakk in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution to preserve the community's language.
Continuation of exemptions under the Indian Arms Act, which currently allow Codavas to carry traditional firearms as part of their religious and cultural identity — similar to the Kirpan exemption for Sikhs.
Protection of Codava cultural and historical sites, customary laws, and their ecological lifelines, particularly the Cauvery river basin.
Political representation, including demands for reserved seats in legislative bodies, modelled after the unique 'Sangha' constituency for Buddhist monks in Sikkim.
'The CNC's movement has always been peaceful, rooted in constitutional advocacy,' said CNC founder and president N.U. Nachappa Codava. 'Our goal is to secure the rightful identity, autonomy, and dignity of the Codava people — not only within India's democratic framework but also under international conventions on indigenous rights.'
The CNC is currently pursuing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that seeks legal recognition of Codavaland's claim for geo-political autonomy, arguing that their demands are both constitutionally viable and historically justified.
Joining Hegde at the seminar will be his wife, Hima Lawrance also a Supreme Court lawyer, qualified to practice in both India and New York.
The event is expected to draw academics, legal experts, regional leaders, and community stakeholders from across Karnataka, as discussions around regional autonomy and tribal classification continue to gain traction in India's federal structure
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