State Human Rights Commission anguished by plight of Yaravas in Kodagu village

SHRC flags human rights violation in the hamlet.

The SHRC team interacting with members of the Yarava community at Balugodu hamlet in Virajpet taluk of Kodagu district on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) Chairman L. Narayanaswamy has expressed anguish over the living conditions of the Yarava community members at Balugodu hamlet in Virajpet taluk of Kodagu district.

SHRC has also directed the officials in Kodagu to ensure that basic amenities are extended and a progress report submitted to them. A progress review will be held in 20 days and the officials have been instructed to provide drinking water through tankers with immediate effect to the Balugodu hamlet.

Speaking in Virajpet after paying a visit to the hamlet on Wednesday, Mr. Narayanaswamy said that India boasts of success in Chandrayaan and is among the top five economies in terms of GDP ranking. But there are people who live in dire poverty devoid of basic amenities, lack of housing, electricity and connectivity which makes one wonder whether India was really developing, he said.

He said one has to introspect and question oneself about the prevailing system given the fact that there are Adivasi communities devoid of site, housing, drinking water facilities, electricity, anganwadi or school.  

He directed the officials to ensure that the Yaravas in Balugodu hamlet are provided with basic civic amenities. ‘’Those who are part of the system and in the government enjoy all amenities but those outside it are deprived of basic amenities and is a matter of sorrow’’, said Mr. Narayanaswamy. The Yaravas are economically impoverished and extending all amenities to them by the local authorities should be the first priority, he added, pointing out that not even 5% of the government benefits have percolated to them.

SHRC member S.K. Vantigodi said the living conditions of Yaravas in Balugodu was deplorable and it was a clear case of human rights violation and exploitation.

T. Sham Bhatt, who is also a member of SHRC said government benefits have not reached the people of Balugodu and called upon the officials to take note and act upon it.

During their visit to the hamlet, the SHRC team apprised itself of the living conditions of the Yaravas and rued that they were living in tents devoid of basic amenities. The people of the hamlet bemoaned that they were living in such conditions exposed to vagaries of nature including heavy rains and severe cold. Besides, there was threat of snakes and hence sought concrete houses. A local resident said that 5 kg of rice being supplied by the government was not adequate and they get a square meal a day only when there was work in coffee plantations.

Later, the commission received grievances from the public and people sought for the immediate repair of Morarji Desai Residential School. It also inquired into cases pertaining to human rights violation in the taluk.

Deputy Commissioner Venkat Raja, ZP CEO Varnit Negi, Superintendent of Police K. Ramrajan and others were present.

source: http://www.thehindu.com/ The Hindu / Home> News> India> Karnataka / by The Hindu Bureau / January 31st, 2024

Shambhala — Historically known as Kodagu

Paddy Fields

I have been to many places in all continents except Antarctica and South America, but I think the most beautiful place in the world is Kodagu (also known as Coorg).

Maybe it is because my ancestors came from here and as they say:

There is no place like home.

In the old days of my grandfathers time (before Independence), everybody made a living growing organic rice and organic oranges.

In fact they never even called it organic farming, they just called it farming.

It was the only method of farming they knew and it  was handed over to them by their ancestors who followed it for millennia before the introduction of the “wonder” of the FUKUS inspired “Green Revolution“.

People also had cows and sheep and goats.

Coffee was still an unknown and little explored crop.

Only the wretched FUKUS colonists were practicing large coffee and tea plantations.

The common people of Kodagu had no knowledge or interest in coffee plantations,  and were more concerned with organic paddy and organic oranges which they simply called paddy and oranges.

In fact my grandfather paid Rs 5000 in the 1930s to buy paddy fields that could have fetched him a 500 acre coffee estate today.

Kodagu paddy was world class and gave rise to many local rice mills which flourished and exported rice all over South India especially to Kerala.

Kodagu oranges were famous all over India.

The independence, grace, beauty and vivaciousness of  Kodava women is also well known and remains true even to this day.

Kodava soldiers were famous all across India and this remains true even today.

The first Bharatiya general of the newly independent Army of Bharat was a Kodava General KM Kariappa.

Many Kodava boys dont join the Army anymore.

Most of them aspire to be work as software engineers for IT/BT coolies and then go to America on H1B visa and then work their way to a green card and enjoy the American “dream” which actually still remains a dream even in America and does not ever come to reality.

The British introduced coffee and pepper to Kodagu.

To establish these plantations, they destroyed multiples of a hundreds of  thousands acres of pristine forests.

The Kodagu of the old days was not such an idyllic place though it was a place of great natural beauty and still remains so.

There were Nayakas first ruling Kodagu.

These were tribal chieftains who were Kodavas.

There  were frequent wars between the Nayakas.

In fact many old settlements in Kodagu were fortified and had moats or huge earthen walls.

There were no banks in those days and people buried their wealth in their farms or their Nayakas farm to protect from grabbing by the other Nayakas.

There is a lot of hidden treasure in Kodagu.

One fault of the not just the Kodavas, but all people of Bharat is that they can never accept one from their own community as their leader.

So the Kodavas were gradually conned into accepting Haleri Rajas as their king.

Just like the rest of Bharat were gradually conned into accepting the British as their rulers.

Some of the Haleri Rajas were good but the last batch of them were dumbass tyrants.

They had many spies and were whimsical and killed people at their whims and fancies.

If they found a Kodava leader against them or even had the slightest unfounded suspicion, they would behead him in public and string up his body, kill all the male members, burn his house, confiscate his lands, and capture his women and then make these women marry the Poleyas, the traditional lower caste servants in Kodagu.

Tipu Sultan also invaded Kodagu and was repulsed by divine intervention by honeybees that chased him out of a Shiva temple (Male Sartav) he planned to attack.

So he conned 60000 Kodavas to come unarmed to a peace meeting at Devati Parambu, and then poisoned their food and captured and converted many of those left.

Thanks to Tipu, Devati Parambu became the Auschwitz of the Kodavas.

Never mind the genocide at Devati Parambu, a “freedom fighter” deserves a state holiday even in the region he committed genocide in.

People think Tipu Sultan fought against the British for the freedom of Bharat.

This is a fallacy.

He was not fighting for the freedom of Bharat, but just for his kingdom.

Like most Bharatiya kings fighting each other, Tipu Sultan fought against many Bharatiya kings too.

And he took the help of French colonists to do this.

In fact there was no such thing as Bharat after the fall of the Ashokan empire, which also owes its illustrious origins to the wisdom and inspiration of Kautilya.

Bharat was just a bunch of kingdoms fighting each other, mainly for greed of land, wealth and power.

Fighting over religion was not the main reason.

It was an added bonus, but it would never have occurred if the kings were not first interested in greed for land, wealth and power.

Coming back to Tipu Sultan, in addition to Kodavas , he also fought against Marathas, Mallus and Mangaloreans.

He forcibly converted his war captives to Islam and committed many war crimes and genocide against his captives and his defeated enemies.

After Tipu Sultan was defeated, back came the Haleri Rajas and they got crazier and more tyrannical by the day.

So the British decided to invade Kodagu and kick out the Raja.

Both my Mom’s and Dad’s families fought on the side of the Raja.

The British bribed the Rajas generals, Apparanda Bopu Diwan and Cheppudira Ponnappa Diwan to switch sides and this helped the British win the war.

Masti Venkatesha Iyengar has written an excellent book called Chikaveera Rajendra covering this critical period in Kodagu history.

The book is available only in Kannada since the English version is now out of print.

G Richter has also written an excellent book on Kodagu :

Manual of Coorg: A Gazetteer of the Natural Features of the Country, and the Social and Political conditions of its inhabitants.

As it happens in any war, the winners take all especially from the losers.

So the families that sided the British did well and those that opposed the British had their lands take from them and distributed to the British supporters.

The saying is that those that sided with the British got Umbli(Jagir lands), and those against the British got Kambli (blankets to cover them when they cut the lantana bushes).

There were also many Kodavas who became wannabe British Coconuts, and some of them even converted to Christianity and many of them adopted British names.

Guddera Appaya was from our village and a neighbour of my Dad’s family.

He led the first war of rebellion against the British.

Kodavas and Gowdas are the traditional land owning families in Kodagu.

These Gowdas are not Fumble Harmer type rude and crude Gowdas, but more cultured Gowdas from South Kanara.

Actually even the Gowdas were later imports.

Kodavas were so busy fighting and killing each other, that their lands became neglected and so they invited Gowdas from Sulya to help them maintain their lands.

The genocide done by Tipu Sultan also contributed to the reduction of the Kodava population, which also led to more Gowdas being invited to Kodagu.

In fact Kodagu was bigger than it was today.

It extended to Sulya and Periyapatna.

Kodavas and Gowdas got along much better in the old days.

Today there are sectarian forces trying to divide the Kodavas and Gowdas.

The land holding system of Kodagu is unique and must be followed all across Bharat.

Here, family property(Jamma land) cannot be sold without the consent of the other members of the family.

Only self earned or Sagu property can be sold without the consent of the family.

All members of the family have a right to Jamma Land.

Kodavas still remain a tribal and agricultural people with regard to our festivals and naad nammes(village festivals).

Animal sacrifice is still practiced in many naad nammes.

I went to the Tere festival on the second day of our Naad namme when I was a small child (I was about 7 or 8 years old) and have never gone to the second day Tere  festival since.

The possessed person who is talking to God, drinks bottles of neat raw alcohol, walks barefoot on hot coals, cuts off the heads of live chickens and pigs and drinks their raw blood

It is a most interesting sight to see if you have a strong stomach.

Kodavas are born and raised with guns and swords and we worship our guns and our traditional swords.

There are many mysteries of the origins of the Kodavas.

But some knowledgeable people like Lt Col KC Ponnappa say that we have Kurdish origins and that we are part of Alexanders army from the Kurdish  areas that he had conquered before coming to Bharat.

Lt Col KC Ponnappa wrote an excellent book A Study of the Origin of Coorgs which is now out of print.

An even more interesting theory has been put by Mookanda Kushalappa that we that we have links with the Yazidis.

That means like the Yazidis, Kodavas may also have originated from Mittani.

But I have talked to Kodavas who have been to Kurdistan, and they say there is no doubt that Kodavas have come from the area of Kurdistan in the manner of our looks, dress, some cultural terms matching the local Kurds.

Obviously religions practices and customs have changed significantly,  since the whole Middle East is now a Muslim area, whereas Kodavas predated the Islamic Era.

One of the few still existing pre-Islamic tribes still in Kurdistan are the Yazidis.

And from what little I know of the Yazidis, they also worship Subramanya like the Kodavas.

Like the Kodavas, the Yazidis also worship 6 male Gods of Nature and one female Goddess of Nature as their main Gods.

I am not sure if the Yazidis are also ancestor worshipers like the Kodavas.

Of course, since the Yazidis happened to have the misfortune of retaining their culture in an otherwise Islamic region, that too with the most puritan and hardcore form of Islam, they are considered as “devil” worshipers.

Horrible crimes against women and genocide against women was committed against the Yazidis, by the real devils – ISIS – that most memorable bunch of cowardly mask wearing semi-literate, perverted, sadistic, sex starved thugs, with a fondness for Toyota trucks, guns, sex slaves, young boys, young girls and sheep.

I would not be surprised if the Kodavas traced their roots,  it had some link back to the Yazidis.

I have seen many common things between the people of the Middle East and the Kodavas.

Both have treasure boxes called Sanduka, both men wear vastras (bandanas), both carry daggers and both have a fondness for hunting.

Maj Gen Codanda K Karumbaya, SM (Retd) has written a very interesting article about Kodagu – Kodavas through the Ages.

There is a very long but nice video about the Kodavas.

Youtube

Now Kodagu is changing for the worse.

Today most farmers in Kodagu gain most of their income from coffee and pepper.

The old ways of organic oranges and organic paddy is lost.

This has serious implications for Kodagu farmers who have only concentrated on growing coffee and pepper, a lot of which is exported.

Coffee and pepper are now globally traded and their price is fixed by the global market and we have to compete with other global suppliers.

If there is a fall in commodity prices because of the currently failing global economy, a lot of farmers in Kodagu will be in trouble.

This had happened earlier in the mid 1990s.

The price of coffee fell and people sold their estates and found jobs in Bangalore.

In fact my cousin told me it was so bad that even the banks stopped repossessing the cars of car loan defaulters in Kodagu because the banks had no place to park so many repossessed cars.

In the 1940s, paddy was sold for Rs 3 a batti (65 kgs)and 10 grams of gold was Rs 45.

So basically in the 1940s, 975 kg of paddy bought you 10 grams of gold.

Today 975 kg of paddy (9.75 quintals) will sell for Rs 14600 or 4.85 grams of Gold (@Rs 30000/10gm of gold and Rs 1500/quintal of paddy as of 5/5/2017).

As you can see it is not profitable to grow rice anymore and that is why the Kodagu farmers have shifted to coffee and pepper.

Farmers all over the watershed areas of the Western ghats (Kodagu, Malenad) the sources of two major rivers the Kaveri and the Thunga are abandoning the cultivation of rice and letting  their fields fallow or if they are near tourist spots and towns, they are converting their paddy fields to resorts and sites.

If you ask any specialist in rain water harvesting and ground water recharging, rain fed and river overflow flooding based organic paddy cultivation is very nature friendly and helps a great deal in maintaining the water table not only in the surrounding areas, but more importantly in the rivers.

It also is a source of support for wonderful fauna like koile meen (a small tasty fish), crabs, frogs and other things.

This also provided the base for a wonderful feast of traditional Kodava food.

It  also minimizes serious flooding and controls flash floods.

This abandonment of traditional rain fed paddy harvesting has dangerous implications for the Kaveri and Thunga rivers and will finally affect the Mandya farmers and IT/BT Coolies and Builder/Real Estate Mafia in the Silly Con City.

IT/BT/SEZ coolies  and Real Estate Mafia in the Silly Con city, playing  in their infinity swimming pools and golf courses which have sucked out all the groundwater in the Silly Con city, will not understand the importance of Kodagu.

Kaveri River
On the banks of the Kaveri River

The Kaveri River, the holiest and most life sustaining river, the Ganga of the South, originates in Kodagu.

If Kodagu is infiltrated by the black money builder and real estate and resort mafia as it is rapidly happening now, the Kaveri river will cease to exist in 10 years.

I have personally seen the effects of this decline of the Kaveri  in Coorg.

In my dads days he said that even in the peak of summer if you wanted to cross the river at my place, it came up to his chest.

Now even my 6 year old nephew can wade across the Kaveri river  at my village.

Can you imagine what would happen to not just the Silly Con City , but entire South India if the Kaveri River ceases to exist?

With increasing interest as a tourist destination, a lot of outsiders with black money from the Silly Con city, Tamil Nadu, Andhra and other areas are investing in Kodagu.

These outsiders have no respect for the traditional culture, heritage and environment of Kodagu.

They are only interested in financial return and speculation.

They want to make money in the fastest way possible even if it means destroying a pristine environment that had lasted for millenniums and which is the main source of the Kaveri River.

They are converting paddy fields into resorts and sites, and building villas in coffee estates by cutting down the priceless natural forests.

This has raised the land prices in Kodagu and encouraging locals also to cut their trees and convert their lands to layouts and resorts.

Deverakadus (Gods forests and sacred groves) are being encroached upon.

This is mainly because of selfish Representative DFI’s who are more interested in vote gathering than saving Deverakadus.

They promise free houses to ever willing so called “deprived” classes and even outsiders and even illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, and destroy Deverakadus to build these houses.

Kodagu used to be a separate state.

If the Kaveri River is to remain as the river as it was known and still have some hope of continuing to provide sustenance to the whole of South India, Kodagu must become a separate state again with strict land laws like Himachal Pradesh.

Currently only the Kodavas are agitating against a separate state and they have a very parochial agenda of only the Kodava people.

There are many other traditional communities living in Kodagu.

If Kodagu is to become a separate state all the traditional communities living in Kodagu, not just the Kodavas and Gowdas, but even the Poleyas and Kurubas should have a say in the running of Kodagu.

In fact, in the entire Western Ghats, the Gadgil Committee report must be implemented.

I have read the Gadgil Committe report.

However there are some flaws in the Gadgil Committee report, not in the main list of activities but in the regulated list.

Looking at this report, I think like all Committee reports, especially those devised by University professors, the Gadgil committee report also gave more weight to University Professors academic recommendations instead of including the ground realities faced by the local people on the ground.

If the report really has to be implemented, it must first take into account the ground realities faced by farmers on the ground.

Most farmers do not have an opposition to the banning of the main list of activities.

However a lot of them have opposition to the list of regulated activities.

Even minor current day farming practices like building farm roads and digging ponds and drawing electric wires through their farms come under the cover of regulated activities.

It is very easy to say regulated activities, but considering the corruption in Bharat, any regulation is just a means for officials to take bribes and a drain on residents who are forced to give bribes to break the regulations.

However if the above flaws are corrected, the Gadgil Report is most ideal because it primarily calls for local participation by ordinary informed, enlightened and selfless local people to implement this report.

It is the selfish vested interests of devious Dalal Street Pimp/Lala Businessmen and Representative DFIs, and ignorant self proclaimed middlemen of God, who incite the ignorant locals in these regions to protest against the Gadgil Report.

A country road in Kodagu

Here is article in the Hindu by Professor Gadgil himself slamming the ignorant Kasturirangan report.

Land should only be purchased among locals in Kodagu or those who have roots in Kodagu or have stayed twenty five years in Kodagu or those outsiders who will practice only traditional organic agriculture of Kodagu and provide permanent agricultural employment to 1 labourers/5 acres.

New land purchase must only be used for agricultural, plantation or forest conservation use.

No new land purchased any be converted from agricultural or plantation use to non agricultural use.

No further forest land should be converted to any other use.

All previously encroached forest lands must be taken back and converted back again into forests.

The forests should consist of actual forest trees which traditionally existed in the area, not teak and commercial plantations that our so called government “forest” “conservationists” and authorities consider as “forests”.

Forests are for the benefit of Nature, not for the benefit of man. 

So the trees and vegetation that benefit Nature and animals only should be planted.

Instead of just planting Silver Oak, planters should be encourage to plant other forest trees on their land on the condition that they can cut it and sell it after 25 years.

Bamboo plantations must be planted along all river banks to discourage sand mining and also to encourage water recharging and river rejuvenation.

Further subsidies and incentives should be given to encourage local landholders to preserve their lands as forests and sanctuaries.

If one wishes to purchase land just for conservation of nature and environment and will not sell it for hundred years they also should be able to purchase land.

No ecotourism projects should be allowed for outsiders, non Kodagu residents, corporates and large outside investors in any form, even joint ventures and joint developments.

If it is found that a local is benami fronting for an outsider or those who do not have roots in Kodagu, then the property should be confiscated and an amount of 5 times the project and investment cost must be recovered from the outside investor and 2 times the land cost must be recovered from the local who benami fronted the project.

If they cannot pay the above amounts, then their other assets should be seized and auctioned to recover the amount due.

Minor ecotourism projects can be allowed for locals who have stayed there at least 20 years, but all these ecotourism projects must first get government approval and then approval from the local village panchayat and gram sabha.

Conversion of agricultural and plantation land and purchase of such land (greater than 0.5 acres) in Kodagu must be strictly regulated and discouraged and taxed heavily if it is converted to resorts and villas.

This is  especially for areas more than 2 acres, and for areas that previously had at least 30% tree cover on them and were more than 1 km from any town limits.

Built up area of these resorts must not exceed 1% of the land area  or a maximum of 1/2 acre for the entire plot.

This should especially apply to non locals who purchase this sort of land to convert it.

In any case, exempting current residential areas, not more than 0.05% of the area of the Kodagu district and entire Western Ghats and other environmentally sensitive areas, should be allowed to be further conversion for any purpose other than residential use.

Also the residential use will be on the condition that the property converted to residential use must be occupied as a primary residence within 5 years after date of conversion to residential use.

The residential  Floor to Area (FAR) ratio should be a maximum of 1 subject to a maximum of 8000 sqft per acre with a maximum area of 1 acre per farm upto 100 acres and 3 acres per farm upto 500 acres and 4 acres per farm above 1000 acres.

This includes all labour quarters and farmhouse and other residential purposes.

In addition an area can be used for livestock of upto 10000 sft/acre upto a maximum of  1 acre per farm regardless of the size of the farm.

Paddy fields should not be left fallow.

Deverakadus must be strictly protected and rejuvenated.

Tourist resorts especially by outsiders (non Kodagu residents), should not be allowed.

Home stays can be allowed with a maximum of 8 rooms in a joint venture with local residents.

To subsidise and encourage existing local individual Kodagu land holders, especially small and medium land holders to follow the above suggestions, a National subsidy fund must be created by imposing a tax cess on the downstream beneficiaries of Kaveri River.

Even existing local corporate land holders should be given a 40% subsidy if they follow the above practices.

This tax cess will be imposed lightly on the middle class and above residents of the downstream cities, but more heavily on the Real Estate developers, other industries and IT/BT/SEZ/Industrial  parks and other such major exploiters and beneficiaries of the Kaveri River, not just in the Silly Con City, but all along the watershed of the Kaveri River.

The above conditions of tax cess and subsidy should apply not just to Kodagu but to the entire Western Ghats and all ecologically and environmentally areas in Bharat, especially the catchment areas of major rivers.

Kodagus still remains one of the safest places in Bharat. 

I have seen women walking alone in the dark on unlit roads even at 12 in the midnight.

But nowadays there are reports of single women and old people being attacked when they stay alone in their houses.

This could be because of the influx of outside labour from Bihar, Orissa, Assam, Bangladesh and other places.

I am very worried about the influx of labour from these places.

Most of Assam, Bangladesh, Jharkhand, Bihar and Orissa is very unsafe and some of the people there are of a very violent sort and have very misogynistic and unscrupulous attitudes compared to the traditional local residents of Kodagu.

In fact all over the South , the people are much more disciplined, polite and less misogynistic than the Northern states.

The danger to safety in Kodagu is also because of unchecked and unregulated tourism.  

Whenever a place becomes a tourist attraction, there are two sorts of people who land up to see the place:

  • Families who come to enjoy the place, but can only come on weekends and long holidays.
  • Third class porkis (rogues or scoundrels), who are usually bachelors and men with bad marriages, not really interested in the beauty of the place.

They just want a quiet and cheap place not to far away from their hometown where they can remain unrecognised and indulge in the most fundamental of perversions that third class porkis are fond of  – gambling, drinking and whore mongering.

Unfortunately Kodagu has become a cheap tourist attraction instead of a family destination.

This has also attracted a lot of third class porkis like I have described above and this is changing the previously safe environment of Kodagu.

The poleyas, yeravas and kurubas are the traditional labour of Coorg but they drink too much.

Many people in Kodagu, even rich and educated Kodavas drink too much.

Too much drinking is a curse not just in Kodagu, but entire Bharat.

There is a misconception that Kodavas are “Hindus“.

Kodavas are not “Hindus“.

Most Kodavas themselves have been ignorantly modifying our religion to become more Hindu.

The Kodavas of the old days and even now worship their ancestors and Nature and the  mighty Gods of Nature.

The Kodavas and other tribals of Bharat are the true inheritors of the Rig Veda which also mainly worships the Gods of Nature and praises the wonder of Nature.

That is why I like my Kodava community way.

We worship Nature and our ancestors, we have no Gods, we have no priests, we have no Vedas and Shlokas.

Our ancestors and Nature are our Gods.

Worship of Nature, the most sublime gift of Brahman is true worship of God.

When we die, we are cremated and our ashes are spread across the farm or put into a river.

There are no public cemeteries. There are no public grave stones. There is nothing in public. Every memorial is by the families and on their private lands only.

There are only public cremation grounds that too restricted to the clan of the person.

We probably are the only community in Bharat to have Ainmanes.

The roots of Kodavas are very strong, the roots of most Bharatiyas are very strong though the new generation of Bharatiyas is trying hard to abandon their roots and follow the rootless Americans.

A person must have roots.

With roots comes a love for the land and its people, not the love for money.

A person with strong roots will never sacrifice his land and people for the sake of money.

A person with strong roots will realise that the best way to worship our ancestors is to leave to our children what our ancestors fought even with the cost of their lives for to give to us.

There is an old Native American saying:

We did not inherit this earth from our ancestors,
We have borrowed it from our children.

Note:

I am not a full blooded Kodava – my mom’s mom was a Keralite Christian Army Doctor – so that makes me 1/4 Mallu Kutti.

My Grandmom and Granddad met at Quetta, Balochistan, before Independence.

They were both serving at Quetta, in the only true bastion of secularism in Bharat, the Indian Army.

Most Keralites and Kodavas I know are very smart and down to earth people.

They are calm and humble, and even if they are well accomplished, they  dont talk big about themselves.

This is very unlike almost all of our Representative DFI’s who rigorously follow the saying:

“Chaar Aane Ka Murgi, Bara Aane ka masala” (Four annas chicken, 12 annas masala)

source: http://www.aryadharma.world / Home> Articles / by Dhyan Appachu Bollachettira

Karnataka High Court asks Kodagu DC to consider shooter’s plea for more guns, ammo

The application had been kept pending for three years instead of seven days as specified by law, he stated in the plea.

High court of Karnataka.
High court of Karnataka.(Photo | Nagaraja Gadekal, EPS)

Bengaluru :

The Karnataka High Court directed the Kodagu deputy commissioner to consider the application filed by K Sajan Aiyappa, a well-known shooter, seeking grant for four more arms and 25,000 ammunition to practice his sport. It also ordered the DC to pass appropriate orders as per law.

Aiyappa (54), a resident of Kolkeri village in Napoklu, had filed the plea at the high court against the act of the DC, who kept his application dated September 21, 2020. The application had been kept pending for three years instead of seven days as specified by law, he stated in the plea.

On December 28, 2022, the DC issued a notice to Aiyappa, stating that he has not divulged the minimum qualifying marks to be a renowned shooter and it should be submitted within 15 days. The petitioner’s counsel submitted that Aiyappa, being a renowned shooter, is entitled to possess 10 Arms as per the Arms Act, 1959 and Rules framed there under. He now has three arms, and had applied for four additional arms. The DC and SP are dodging the issue on one pretext or the other, he alleged.

“The DC or the Competent Authority is required to dispose of an application made by any holder of Arms licence to add or delete Arms in terms of schedule 5 of Rule 40, within an outer limit of seven days. Contrary to it, the DC has held on to the application for three long years, which is blatantly contrary to the statute,” said Justice M Nagaprasannam, quashing the final notice dated December 28, 2022 issued by the DC.

The petitioner claimed that he has participated in shooting events at national and state level and he is a life member of the National Rifle Association of India.

He argued that he would come within the definition of a ‘Renowned Shooter’ in terms of the Arms Rules, 2016. The government advocate contended that the petitioner can possess only two arms.

The court said the petitioner is well within the statutory claim made for possession of four more arms, the court added. 

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Bengaluru / by Express News Service / January 30th, 2024

‘Many stakeholders are keen to build glass skywalk bridges in Kodagu’

Detailed project report is being prepared for developing key tourist facilities in the coffee land.

Kodagu Deputy Commissioner Venkataraja at the tourism committee meeting in Madikeri on Tuesday, January 30. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

A master plan is being prepared to provide facilities at Raja Seat in Madikeri, Chelavara Waterfalls, Dubare elephant camp in Dubare, and Nisargadhama in Kushalnagar which are among the prominent tourist sites in Kodagu.

The detailed project report of the sites was being prepared, said Anita Bhaskar, Assistant Director, Tourism Department, Madikeri.

At the tourism committee meeting in Madikeri which was chaired by Deputy Commissioner Ventakaraja, the Assistant Director sought the Deputy Commissioner’s permission to develop a website to provide information on the tariff of homestays that are registered with the Tourism Department besides information on the tourist facilities in the district.

The DC said tourists must get complete information on the homestays online as it will help them make advance bookings.

He suggested displaying taluk-wise information on the homestays in a website is being planned.

Hotel Owners’ Association president Nagendra Prasad suggested developing websites for promoting spiritual tourism and common tourist sites.

On the occasion, the assistant director told the meeting that many stakeholders have come forward to build a glass skywalk bridge in Kodagu, which has one such bridge near Madikeri that has become a tourist attraction.

In response, the DC said those wishing to construct glass bridges should have their land. Moreover, parking space was a must. The area should not come under eco-tourism zones and forest zones. All guidelines must be strictly followed.

Out of 4,000 homestays in Kodagu, only 1,900 are registered with the Tourism Department. The meeting was told that proposals are also being submitted for launching river rafting facilities.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> India > Karnataka / by The Hindu Bureau / January 31st, 2024

Centre Approves Rs. 28 Crore For Road Works In Kodagu, Mysuru

MP Pratap Simmha meets Nitin Gadkari; seeks funds for road improvement to mitigate accidents

Mysore/Mysuru:

Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simmha recently held a meeting with Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, urging approval for essential road projects in his Constituency, focused on accident zones, road safety and overall development. In a positive response, the Minister sanctioned projects worth Rs. 28 crore.

Expressing gratitude on behalf of the people of Mysuru and Kodagu, the MP conveyed his gratitude to the Minister for his swift approval. The sanctioned works, totalling Rs. 28 crore, encompass critical road development initiatives in key areas.

Details of approved works are as follows: 

Kushalnagar town, Kodagu district: Road development of length: 1.30 km; location: National Highway 275 (km: 128.150 to km: 130.150); approved Amount: Rs. 7 crore. 

Hunsur taluk, Mysuru district: Comprehensive road development of length: 7.95 km; locations: km: 161.380 to km: 163.500 (Chilkunda), km: 169.00 to km: 171.825 (Yasodharapura), km: 190.400 to km: 193.400 (Bilikere, K.R. Nagar Junction); approved amount: Rs. 15 crore. 

Hunsur taluk, Mysuru district: Road junction development of length: 1 km (171.560 km of National Highway 275); approved amount: Rs. 5 crore, roadside RCC drain construction length of 2.9 km (National Highway 275, km: 190.600 to 193.500; approved amount: Rs. 1 crore.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore /Home> News> Top Stories / December 30th, 2023

Sri Krishna Temple Takes Shape In Kutta On Kodagu-Kerala Border

Mysore/Mysuru:

Sri Krishna, revered as one of the most beloved deities among Hindus in India and globally, holds a special place in the hearts of devotees. In the town of Kutta, near the Kodagu-Kerala border, a unique Krishna Temple is taking shape after four decades of persistent dreams and efforts by the local community.

This temple is becoming a reality, thanks to the unwavering dedication of the residents of the region. The construction of this Krishna Temple, at an estimated cost of Rs. 3.5 crore, reflects the long-standing aspirations of the locals to establish a religious centre in this part of the region.

The generous donation of about one acre of land by a local benefactor four decades ago has been a crucial catalyst for the realisation of this dream. The temple’s construction is a collective endeavour, marked by consensus, taking everyone into confidence through several rounds of discussions.

“Our long-standing dream of constructing a temple here is now turning into reality. The temple’s construction relies on the collaboration of the local community, and we seek support from donors to accomplish our mission. It is our sincere appeal to Krishna devotees to actively participate in this collective effort,” urges Chekkera Ganapathy, President of the Sri Krishna Temple Committee.

Under the guidance of seniors, Committee members have wholeheartedly contributed substantial amounts crossing lakhs of rupees from their personal funds, actively engaging in this mission to advance the ongoing construction of the temple. The Committee is dedicated to working towards completing the construction within a predefined time-frame.

Committee Vice-President Theethira Naren Balakrishna expressed the Committee’s goal to complete the temple construction by March 2024. He emphasised the absence of a beautiful religious centre in the region, motivating the Committee to take the initiative in building the Sri Krishna Temple.

This endeavour aims to provide devotees in the area with the soon-to-be-realised opportunity for the darshan of Sri Krishna. The responsibility of constructing the temple has been entrusted to skilled sculptors from Karkala.

Committee Secretary Chodumada Shareen Subbaiah highlighted the democratic process in selecting the office-bearers by the people of Kutta. She appealed to locals and residents in the surrounding areas to join hands in this sacred  undertaking.

Grants have been generously provided by former Virajpet MLA K.G. Bopaiah, current Virajpet MLA  A.S. Ponnanna and Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simmha for the construction of the Sri Krishna Temple. All 17 members of the Committee are working collaboratively to ensure the successful realisation of this project.

Shareen Subbaiah emphasised the implementation of a thorough audit system to track and manage donations effectively. She urged devotees of Krishna to contribute towards the temple’s construction.

In addition to the key office-bearers, the other Committee members and Directors who are diligently supervising the progress of the Sri Krishna Temple’s construction are Treasurer D. Ravi, Directors Theethira Kushalappa, Machamada Subramani, Theethira Theertha Manjunath, Kattera Ramesh, Machamada Kashi Cariappa, Dhyan Darshan, Chandra Kuttan, Prashanth, Johnson, Ajjikuttira Bopanna and Mukkatira Naveen.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore /Home> News / January 06th, 2024

Who are Rohan Bopanna’s parents M.G. Bopanna and Mallika Bopanna?

The 43-year-old Rohan Bopanna is the fourth Indian to win a Grand Slam title.

Rohan Bopanna (extreme left) with his family (Via Rohan Bopanna Instagram)

Rohan Bopanna is a professional tennis player from India. Born on 4th March 1980, Bopanna went on to become the oldest World No.1. The 43-year-old specializes mainly in doubles.

Throughout his career, Rohan Bopanna had tasted major success in the doubles division. He has won 24 ATP doubles titles. However, he is still to win a men’s doubles title in the Major Grand Slam. His best performance in the men’s double in Grand Slam came at the US Open in 2010 and 2023 when he reached the finals of the competition.

Bopanna has also reached the semis of the Grand Slams thrice at the Wimbledon and once at the French Open. However, he has won a mixed doubles title at the French Open in 2017 with partner Gabriela Dabrowski. He is the fourth Indian to win a major title.

Who are Rohan Bopanna’s parents?

Rohan Bopanna was born on 4th March 1980 to M.G. Bopanna and Mallika Bopanna. By profession, his father is a coffee planter, and he was the one who inspired his son to choose an individual sport. Bopanna, in turn tried various sports and at the age of 19 chose to play tennis. His father also built a tennis court in his hometown Coorg for Bopanna.

Rohan Bopanna with his parents (Image via Zee India)

His mother, Mallika Bopanna, is a homemaker. More details about his mother are not available in the public.

Where do Rohan Bopanna’s parents live?

Bopanna’s father and mother live in their coffee estate in Coorg, Karnataka. Bopanna himself had his primary education from there. Later on, he shifted to Bangalore to complete his higher education at the Jain University in Bangalore.

Rohan Bopanna (image via Hindustan Times)

What did Rohan Bopanna’s parents do for a living?

Bopanna’s father is a coffee planter by profession and owns a coffee estate in their hometown of Coorg, which is the primary source of income for them. His mother is a homemaker.

Rohan Bopanna (image via tennis majors

What is the estimated net worth of Rohan Bopanna’s parents?

The 43-year-old himself earns a handsome sum of $3.2 million per year through various tournaments and sponsorship deals. However, no such info is available for his parents.

As the 43-year-old creates history at the Australian open, let's take a look at the parents of the veteran Indian player.
Rohan Bopanna (image via India Today)

FAQs

Q. Who is the wife of Rohan Bopanna?

Supriya Annaiah is the wife of Rohan Bopanna

Q. How many Grand Slam titles has Bopanna won?

Bopanna has won one French Open title in the Mixed doubles division.Q. Where was Bopanna born?

Bopanna was born in Bangalore, Karnataka.

Q. What is Bopanna’s daughter’s name?

Rohan Bopanna’s daughter’s name is Tridha Bopanna.

source: http://www.firstsportz.com / First Sportz / Home> Tennis / by Soumik Bhatacharya / edited by Nikhil Sonmali / January 27th, 2024

Behind Rohan Bopanna’s Australian Open success, game changing advice from wife Supriya Annaiah

Rohan Bopanna reveals his wife’s advice amid struggles before winning the Australian Open doubles title.

India's Rohan Bopanna poses with his family after victory against Italy's Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori(AFP)
India’s Rohan Bopanna poses with his family after victory against Italy’s Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori(AFP)

How much do you know about Rohan Bopanna?

The veteran Indian tennis player is the oldest male Grand Slam winner in the Open era. He achieved the feat by winning the Australian Open men’s doubles title on Saturday. The 43-year-old Indian and his doubles partner Matthew Ebden outclassed the Italian duo of Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori 7-6(0) 7-5 to rewrite history in the first Grand Slam of the 2024 season.

The newly-crowned world number one in doubles, Bopanna is showing no signs of slowing down. He is playing the best tennis of his life at the age of 43.

Interestingly, Bopanna was busy shattering records in the build-up to the Australian Open. He became the oldest men’s player to seal an ATP Masters 1000 title. He made it to two Grand Slam finals and featured in the ATP Finals. He also claimed a gold medal at the Asian Games before finishing the season as world No. 3 in men’s doubles.

Bopanna almost quit tennis in 2019

Before Bopanna made headlines with the Australian Open, there was a time when he was contemplating retirement. The cartilage in his knees had wore out, and his mobility was not great. Bopanna went five months without winning a match forcing him to almost call time on his career in 2019. With critics convinced that he was past his prime, Bopanna invested heavily in his fitness to spark a sensational turnaround.

Advice Rohan Bopanna got from wife Supriya Annaiah

His physio travelled with him on tour. Thanks to ‘Iyengar Yoga’ during the pandemic break, a rejuvenated Bopanna started playing pain-free tennis – a sport which gave him everything. Speaking to ESPN ahead of the Australian Open final, Bopanna opened up about having no cartilage on his knees. Bopanna also recollected a game-changing advice he received from his wife Supriya Annaiah.

‘When you change limitations to opportunities’

“My wife said it beautifully one day, ‘when you change limitations to opportunities, everything changes.’ We are always told at 25 this has to happen, by 30 this has to happen, at 40 this will happen. It’s a thing which is told to us constantly, whether it is sport or life, whether it is marriage, having kids, whatever it may be. But when you change that into opportunities, then the limitations go away,” Bopanna recalled.

Know more about oldest man to win a Grand Slam title

At 43 years and 329 days, Bopanna has become the oldest to win a men’s doubles major in the Open era. He will officially become the oldest to be ranked No. 1 in men’s doubles on Monday. He is the third Indian to win a Grand Slam doubles title after Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi. Reflecting on his incredible journey, Bopanna revealed that he had messaged his wife about bidding farewell to tennis.

“Five years ago, I sent my wife a video message where I said I would call it a day, because I wasn’t winning matches. I went five months without winning a match, I thought that would be the end of my journey. But my perseverance kept me going and really changed so many things. I found a wonderful partner to get me to all the laurels,” Bopanna said.

source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> News> Sports> Tennis News / by HT Sports Desk / January 28th, 2024