Kutta : The Codava National Council (CNC) renewed its long-standing demand for constitutional recognition, political representation, and Scheduled Tribe (ST) status at the 20th Codava Human Chain demonstration held at Kutta on Tuesday. The awareness programme, attended by large numbers from the region, was led by CNC chairman N.U. Nachappa Codava, who reiterated that the community’s identity, faith and ancestral rituals could survive only if they were recorded distinctly in the national framework.
Addressing participants, Nachappa Codava urged the Codava community to “have faith in the Constitution, have trust in the CNC, and have confidence in themselves,” arguing that constitutional safeguards were essential for the survival of what he described as a “minuscule, indigenous, mono-ethnic, animistic” population. He said recognition in the National Census as a separate category was vital for protecting Codava sacred traditions, land rights and ritual heritage.
He asserted that from 1871 to 1931, Census data listed Codavas as a distinct non-religious and non-caste race. However, later Censuses merged them with other groups, weakening their institutional and political voice. Nachappa called for a separate Census code for Codavas in the 2026-27 enumeration, which will determine constituency boundaries under the Representation of the People Act.
The CNC demanded geopolitical self-administration for Codavaland, protection under the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and special legislative representation similar to the Sangha constituency in Sikkim reserved for Buddhist monks.
The CNC also warned against alleged attempts to artificially expand electoral rolls by enrolling foreign nationals, including the Rohingya, as Codavas. Additionally, Nachappa criticized unregulated land conversions and environmental damage in Kodagu, urging the community to adopt a “preservation-minded, ascetic approach” to land stewardship.
