Madikeri:

Mukkatira family members in Kodagu and outside the district have formed an association called Kodava Mukkatira Family Association with a view to bringing all members living in different villages in Kodagu and outside the district under one roof, the president of the association, Mukkatira Uthaiah, said on Monday.

Mr. Uthaiah, a retired police officer, and members of Mukkatira families from different parts of the district, were speaking to presspersons here. Mukkatira family members had spread out and settled in various locations in the district during the times of the former rulers of Kodagu. Most of them had now expressed willingness to forge unity, Mr. Uthaiah said. Forming the association was the first step in bringing all Mukkatira family members under one platform, he added.

The secretary of the association, Mukkatira G. Aiyappa, who is an industrial lawyer and plantation workers union leader, said the coming together of the members was to usher in cooperation, assist the poor to pursue education and lend a helping hand to the deserving in times of crisis.

The association would also aim at encouraging sports and games activities among family members and promote cultural activities as well, Mr. Aiyappa said. The rules governing a particular Mukkatira family as of now, wherever they lived, concerning deaths, births and other traditional practices, except marriage, would continue, he clarified. Matrimonial alliances (between different Mukkatira families) may not continue in future, he said clarifying a question.

The treasurer of the association, Mukkatira Appaiah, a retired Superintendent of Police, said that 19 Mukkatira families living in different pars of the district had given consent to forge unity and become members of the association. They were Mukkatira families from Harihara, those from Gonicoppa to Kutta, Bondha, Pulikotu, Nelaji, Kunjilageri, Bavali, Arapattu, Aruvatoklu, Kumbaladalu, Kadagadalu, Madapur, Betri, Bittangala, Balamuri, Moovatoklu, Mukkodlu, Toochamekeri and Kunda. A few more families had sought time to join the association.

Mukkatira T. Nanaiah, a member of the association and advocate from Bangalore, stated that the bylaw of the association was being prepared and the association would be registered soon. The objective of the association would be to achieve all-round development involving all Mukkatira family members. The families now identified themselves by the name of the village they lived in. Mukkatira Vasant, another member, gave an account of the history of the family.

Mukkatira Vani Devaiah, a member of the association, was present.