Tiny district Kodagu languishes without railway connectivity

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Travel, Tourism & Homestays (wef. Oct 03rd, 2021)

HIGHLIGHTS

Kodagu, a tiny district of state with unique culture is yet to get railway connectivity. Thanks to elected representatives and government.

Tiny district Kodagu languishes without railway connectivity

Madikeri:

Kodagu, a tiny district of state with unique culture is yet to get railway connectivity. Thanks to elected representatives and government. Kodagu situated amid western ghats is only district in south India deprived of railway connectivity. The cry for railway connectivity have decades of history.

It was K H Muniyappa, the then state minister for railways in the year 2011 budget announced railway connectivity to Kodagu. In the year 2012 the railway department launched the first stage of the preliminary survey works on the route at Mysuru -Kushalnagar line of 87.5 kilometres. The department completed preliminary engineering-cum-traffic survey between Mysore-Kushalnagar in four months and the project cost was estimated at Rs 651.4 crores. But even after a decade the work was not taken up. After the survey higher railway officers opined that it is economically not viable owing to less passenger traffic in the route. Amid this environmentalists objected to the project saying forest would be destroyed , thousands of trees would cut to install railway track

It was in the year 2014 Lok Sabha elections the Mysore Kodagu MP Pratap Simha in a TV debate announced that he would bring train to district before 2019 and would not contest 2019 polls if work is not done. But Pratap Simha failed to keep up his promise and even got elected in 2019 election again by promising that union government sanctioned the project. Till today the project is lying on paper and no progress was seen. The construction wing of South Western Railway (SWR) awarded tender for final location survey (FLS) in the year 2020 to Hyderabad-based company called Mata Constructions and Builders Limited to conduct the survey but the company abandoned the work and left. Again the work was awarded to Hyderabad-based Aerial Construction (P) limited but this bidder also left without conducting survey.

In July last, the SWR construction division awarded the tender for FLS to Bangalore-based Sipra infrastructure development Private limited for Rs 1.65 crores. The period for completion of work is six months , but the company is yet to begin work through drone cameras.

Speaking to this reporter on Friday SWR Mysore division senior engineer said that the company officials would start the work within a week as rains hindered the work. After completion of FLS we could know the exact amount of the project , number of bridges and number of railway stations to be constructed and other infrastructure works.

He said now as per railway estimation the project cost went up to 1852.5 crores and exact amount could be known only after FLS. He said in this final survey we could identify the exact land to be required for project with survey numbers.

He said though it is called railway link to Kushalnagar it does not enter Kushalnagar, a border town of Kodagu. The railway line comes up to Koppa village in Periyapatna taluk , just two km from Kushalnagar.

According to proposal the railway project would come up with union and state government investments at 50 per cent each. The state government should provide land for the project at its cost. After the FLS the railway authorities would submit the Railway board. After approval of the board the union government would allocate funds in budget for implementation of project. In the year 2018 itself the vernacular dailies published Mysuru-Kushalnagara new railway line under the caption what Karnataka gets in railway budget , but the project is still on cards. The industrialists, people opines that this is much needed project for overall development of district. The tiny district Kodagu accounts more than 30 per cent share in annual coffee production of the country with production of 1.2 lakh tones of the total 3.6 lakh tones. Nearly 70 per cent coffee is being exported . The railway connectivity would save lakhs of rupees expensive road transport to ports. The railway line would reduce traffic drastically in Madikeri –Bangalore national highway as more than 300 buses were plying in this route at present.

When contacted Kushalnagar based SLN coffee curing and exporters (P) Limited managing partner S L Sathappan said that most of the coffee produced in Kodagu is being exported through Cochin, Mangalore and Chennai ports in trucks. If railway comes to Kushalnagar we could ship directly through containers as majority of coffee curing works are situated here. He said more than 50 per cent of transport cost can be saved which finally beneficial to growers.

Speaking to this paper Kodagu tourism department officer H B Raghavendra said that day by day the number of tourists visiting Kodagu is swelling. Approximately 20 lakh tourists visiting the district which is also called as Kashmir of South. Of this at least 10-25 per cent coming from other states . The railway connectivity helpful to attract tourists from faraway places.

An ex- serviceman B P Kuttappa from Somwarpet told this paper that the district has at least 10 thousand personnel working in defence forces in various locations of the country. Railway connectivity would help them much and even shifted aged patients to Mysore , Bangalore hospitals for treatment and save taxi fares.

When contacted MP Pratap Simha said that the project was delayed after railway officers submitted a report that it is economically not viable and for obtaining environment clearances. Again two companies abandoned work of FLS caused delay. But now everything is cleared and work of FLS would resume soon. He said the union government even included the project in pink book and allocated Rs 1,000 crores in 2022-23 union budget itself. He said he is getting in touch with railway officers and closely watching the development and reiterated that district would get railway connectivity. But people of district feels that lack of will power of elected representatives and politicians have caused delay of the project.

source: http://www.thehansindia.com / The Hans India / Home> News> State> Karnataka / by Coovercolly Indresh / Hans News Service / August 27th, 2022

Kodava Clan’s Attempt To Set A World Record

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All, Travel, Tourism & Homestays (wef. Oct 03rd, 2021), World Opinion

Largest ever Family reunion in Virajpet on Dec. 24, 2022

Kodava Clan is hoping to establish a World Record by organising the largest ever Family reunion in Virajpet on Dec. 24, 2022 with more than 10,000 Kodavas inter-related to each other meeting at one location. This will be the first-of-its-kind attempt across the world to beat the existing world record of 4,514 people/family members meeting in France documented in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Kodava Clan, the company organising this event, is the first ever, one-of-its-kind interactive, crowd sourced virtual museum that has created the largest online family tree of the Kodava community or going back at least 15-16 generations in some cases and recognised by the Indian Book of Records.

Founded by Gummattira Kishoo Uthappa, the portal is the first online museum cataloguing data, statistics, history, culture and festivals, heritage, language of the Kodavas dating back from the 16th Century.

The Kodavas are a small but illustrious community that has contributed to the Indian Armed Forces, Government, Judiciary, Sports, Medical profession and many more across India and the world. The justification for this can be seen on the portal www.kodavaclan.com.

Kodava Clan is also a social networking site for the Kodava community to find or establish their familial association with other Kodavas, irrespective of the generation he/she maybe a part of, from any part of the world. Founder Kishoo states, “This is possible only due to the extensive research undertaken by our dedicated team in the last 5 years which includes collecting and verifying data from almost 750 Okkas we connected with.

Kodavas are proud of their culture and that is clearly exhibited in the information shared in the heritage section of the portal. The heritage section is a virtual museum with 10 categories, with over 2,500 articles in all, with achievers across sectors, Ainmanes or traditional family homes, cuisines, eminent people from the community, entrepreneurs, festival and customs, flora and fauna, history, Kodava Thakk (Kodava dialect), sports, statistics and tourism.

The Section is a ready reckoner for those requiring information on its history, unique traditional customs and rituals. Recognising the huge value in cataloguing its rich and unique heritage, scores of families have given contributions of articles, information and rare photographs to this site.

Kodava Clan has exciting and dynamic future plans for this virtual portal to make it more interactive and dynamic portal to keep any one engaged on the portal for any of his interest as it has covered the subjects of every walk of life.

As its community grows, Kodava Clan has also included an advertising feature to promote business houses and make it self-sustainable for the portal in the days to come.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / August 26th, 2022

A tough decade for India’s coffee farmers

Agriculture, Coffee News, World Opinion

In today’s Finshots we talk about the main issues coffee farmers face in this country

The Story

Coffee!

Each day, over 1 billion people gulp down 2.5 billion cups of this steaming hot beverage. What was called the Devil’s Drink in the 1600s has now become a staple concoction across the world. And there’s one country that produces and exports most of this coffee — Brazil. In fact, it produces a staggering 40% of the world’s coffee and they are the undisputed leader.

But all’s not well with Brazil. The world’s biggest producer has been going through a bit of a rough patch. It has been hit by freakish weather — cold snaps and frost, combined with a lack of rain. Which in turn has led to a fairly lacklustre crop this year.

Now India is seeing a silver lining here. It thinks this could be an opportunity to export more of its own stuff. After all, the Coffee Board expects India to deliver a higher coffee output this year. And maybe Brazil’s loss could be India’s gain?

Well, not so fast. India really hasn’t been doing well on the export front of late. In fact, from FY12 to FY21, coffee exports have fallen by 3% annually. And that’s because Indian coffee farmers are dealing with their own problems.

For starters, there’s climate change.

You see, nearly 80% of India’s coffee production comes from the two southern states of Karnataka and Kerala. But the past few years have been a damp squib. The rains have been erratic. Some years, the monsoon came early and other times it came with vengeance. When the rains came early, the coffee fruit ripened too soon and the output was no good. When it poured heavily, flooding and landslides wiped out the crops. Farmers simply couldn’t catch a break. And with crops destroyed, yields have dropped from 500 kg to 250 kg per acre for the arabica variant of coffee bean.

Then there’s the bit about prices.

In 2019, coffee prices in real terms (i.e after adjusting for inflation) were a whopping 45% below their 2011 level. In some sense, if you were a coffee farmer, you’d have to cut costs and raise output to maintain the same standard of living. In fact, in most cases, there were no improvements. Farmers lost money hand over fist. This was further exacerbated by the excess supply of coffee beans coming in from Brazil and Vietnam. Prices took a real beating.

But the costs weren’t following the same trends. It was becoming increasingly expensive to plant and harvest coffee. For instance, according to the Karnataka Planters Association, the cost per acre of producing the arabica coffee bean variant has soared from ₹50,000 to ₹85,000 per acre. This is just in the past 3 years. Fertilizer prices have shot up. Labour costs have also ballooned. And consequently, the coffee-growing business just isn’t that financially viable anymore. Many small farmers have sold their plantations. Or even begun cultivating other crops instead.

And finally, there’s the policy-related matter.

Even though coffee is a very important crop for India, it doesn’t come under the purview of the Ministry of Agriculture. That’s right! It’s actually a part of the Ministry of Commerce. And that classification creates its own issues. For instance, coffee growers may not get the same subsidies and benefits that are extended to India’s farmers. And that’s not us saying that. Even a senior liaison officer of the Coffee Board, Yercaud and Kolli Hills, said, “Currently, we do not provide any subsidy to farmers.” And unlike many other crops, there isn’t a minimum support price (MSP) scheme pan India that can help alleviate the stress.

Now even if we were to ignore all these problems, India still wouldn’t be able to ramp up coffee production quickly. Simply because growing coffee is not an overnight affair. It takes 3–5 years for coffee trees to mature and yield bright red coffee cherries.

And what’s the government doing about all this?

Well, they are attempting to amend the decades-old Coffee Act of 1942 and replace it with the Coffee (Promotion and Development Bill) of 2022. While it’s too soon to spell out the specifics of the new Act, hopefully, it’ll have measures that’ll bring some respite to India’s struggling coffee farmers.

But wait…there still exists a long-term issue that no one’s paying attention to.

See, coffee is quite a sensitive crop. It needs the perfect temperature to bring out the best aroma and taste in the beans. Even if things get a little hotter, that can have an adverse impact on the quality of the beans. And temperatures in the coffee-growing regions of southern India are expected to rise by around 2 degrees Celsius by the mid-2030s. How are we going to combat this? No one knows yet.

So yeah, it doesn’t seem like India’s coffee farmers are going to be able to sit back on their porch with a cup of joe and relish the tough times in Brazil.

Pretty sad that.

Until next time…

source: http://www.finshots.in / Finshots.in / Home> Economy / August 22nd, 2022

Coffee growers’ concerns

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Coffee News, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg), World Opinion

Heavy and unseasonal rains since July have led to most of the coffee dropping off the plants, which planters estimate has led to a 30-35% decline in production in the state.

Since 2018, problems for Karnataka coffee growers have only compounded, making it harder to survive on a product whose prices have seen violent fluctuations as it is connected to global markets while internally few factors have changed to help their cause. (HT)

Since 2018, problems for Karnataka coffee growers have only compounded, making it harder to survive on a product whose prices have seen violent fluctuations as it is connected to global markets while internally few factors have changed to help their cause.

Heavy and unseasonal rains since July have led to most of the coffee dropping off the plants, which planters estimate has led to a 30-35% decline in production in the state.

Ground reality

Coffee growers have multiple challenges such as increasing labour costs due to dire shortage, crop damage, landslides, human-animal conflict, unseasonal rainfall, price fluctuations and the recent proposal on eco-sensitive zones in the western ghats among others.

“The rains have been very heavy and prolonged downpour this time and especially high in the Western Ghats region has led to wet-foot conditions and dropping of coffee. The coffee, which is supposed to be harvested by December, is largely damaged and we estimate a 30% loss in crop,” said Bose Mandanna, a coffee planter and former member of the coffee board.

Hassan, Chikmagalur and Kodagu are the biggest growing coffee regions in the country, accounting for 241,650 tonne production out of total 342,000 tonne produced in India.

With at least 70-80% of the total produce exported globally, coffee was among the biggest foreign exchange earning sectors. However, the importance of this sector has declined over the years, especially the booming information technology and related industries which overshadow plantation revenues now.

“Coffee is a commodity where prices are determined at a global level. But having a strong domestic market is an insulation whenever there is a price variation. So, we don’t want to increase domestic consumption because our coffee is regarded as very high quality and has good demand in the international market. But if there is a bumper production in Brazil and Vietnam, the prices will collapse. At that time, the farmers should not feel that they have suffered a huge loss. That time having a strong domestic market is very important and the coffee board is balancing both,” said KG Jagadeesha, CEO & secretary of the Coffee Board of India.

Nature’s fury

In 2018, 39 villages near Madikeri and Somwarpet experienced several landslides as the downpour wreaked havoc in several parts of Karnataka, especially Kodagu, that resulted in permanent plantation land loss to over 8,000 people, according to Nanda Belliappa, a coffee planter in Huttihole Post, Madapur village near Madikeri.

Several planters have since gone to court seeking relief for permanent land loss due to landslides which they claim was “not an act of god but certainly was a manmade disaster”.

“The incessant heavy rainfall and the huge amount of water released from the reservoirs causing fluctuations resulted in hydrostatic pressure due to which landslides occurred at various places, more particularly in the 39 villages. The river water had entered the plantation zones that were quite far away from the river bed,” according to a petition filed in (Karnataka High court) in 2020.

Located near Harangi Dam, this belt saw the most amount of devastation, in which over 100 people in the state lost their lives.

Belliappa lost nine acres permanently and received ₹35,000 per acre compensation, which was capped at a maximum of 2 ha (1 ha=2.47 acres) or around ₹1.75 lakh as per the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF) norms.

“Around 8,000 planters have been displaced. Totally if you see around 900 ha are lost. We are demanding that we be given the same compensation when the government acquires land for roads or other developmental works. On that basis, if we have lost land, the government has to compensate on that level which is normally three or four times the guidance value,” Belliappa said.

Jagadeesha said: “NDRF norms are the same for all farmers as it does not differentiate between coffee or arecanut or anyone else. The compensation is paid at ₹36,000 per hectare for crop loss. For land loss it is a bit more. But the compensation which is paid to a paddy or agricultural farmer or ragi or jowar or coffee is the same. The demand by coffee growers is that plantation crops are different. Even in the (coffee) act, a small coffee grower is classified as 10 hectares whereas it is only 2 hectares. So, they are asking if compensation can be done up to 10 ha.”

He said post the 2018 landslides, a committee under the Karnataka chief secretary did send recommendations to the union government at least three times but are yet to hear back from the Centre.

“The committee unanimously recommended that the compensation be increased from ₹36,000 to ₹72,000 and the 2ha limit be increased to 10 ha. That recommendation has gone, but we have not heard anything. We have written three to four times from the coffee board. We are in favour of giving more compensation to coffee growers because the investment is more,” he said.

Proposed new coffee act

The union government has proposed to replace the 80-year-old Coffee Act with the Coffee (Promotion and Development Bill) 2022 that is expected to come up in the next session of Parliament. “These are very old laws and the idea is only to simplify them, make it easier to do business, ensure that the small people in the different areas like coffee growing, tea growing do not have to suffer from high levels of compliance burden,” Piyush Goyal, the minister for commerce and industry, had said, PTI reported in July.

Among the changes proposed in the new act is the shifting of coffee from the commerce and industries department to agriculture, which, it believes, would give the planters all the benefits from significantly large agricultural schemes.

But, how does this impact coffee growers?

Planters, who spoke to HT, said there was definitely more money and funds in the agriculture department, but fear that coffee would not be treated as a priority when compared to other crops such as paddy, wheat and others. They also said coffee requires officials with expertise in the subject.

“The situation today is that even after cultivating coffee under shade for about 170 years, we are still not globally recognised as shade-grown coffee. These are the things that the coffee board needs to do. The moment the shade is more, our yield productivity will come down to the tune of one-third of what Brazilians do. They have open field cultivation. Coffee boards need to promote, they should certify and see to it that sustainable activity which is practised in the coffee industry gets recognised globally,” said Vishwanath KK, an executive member of the Codagu Planters Association.

Vishwanath said the Indian council of agricultural research must do the research and the commerce ministry should focus on trading, promotion and other commercial activities. “The coffee board served its purpose. The last 20 years there is a clear disconnect between the farmers and the board and the research. Now, there has to be an opportunity for the commodity to take it to the next level,” he said.

Jagadeesha said the proposed coffee act is scheduled to come up in the next session of Parliament, but added that the proposal to change from commerce and industry department to agriculture will make no difference on the ground.

“One of the reasons is since the agricultural department has a bigger budget, the farmers may benefit from this. That too is only an expectation,” he said. However, he said this proposal has not moved on paper and since coffee was export heavy, it will remain with the commerce and industries ministry.

source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> Cities> Bengaluru News / by Sharan Poovanna, Bengaluru / August 22nd, 2022

Kodagu women success story of empowerment started nursery support of this central government scheme

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All

Kodagu:

It is said that we can achieve anything if we have determination and nothing can hinder our growth. You don’t have to go somewhere, you don’t have to study a degree to achieve such an achievement. No need for money. Even so, the women of Makkandur village of Kodagu district have shown that success story can be done! Not only that. The CEO of Kodagu Zilla Panchayat has also made a fuss. This is the story of rural women who never dreamed of promotion (Kodagu Success Story) who suddenly became famous!

Holy Women Shakti Sangh

Yes, the women who were home, doing their house work, garden work had formed the Holy Women Shakti Sangh a few years ago. Leelavati, who was a member of the same association, was selected as the agricultural sakhi of Makkandur Sanjeevini Union.

In-workshop training

Under the Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Scheme, a training workshop was given to the selected G.P. Sanjeevini Unions in Watekadu Ilakha Planta Kshetra Social Forest Zone of Hoddur G.P. in collaboration with Horticulture and Forestry Department. Makkandur Sanjeevini Union’s Krishi Sakhi Leelavati also participated in the workshop. Practically got information about making nursery.

Nursery Planning

Later, a group of nature producers was formed by Makkandur Gram Panchayat. A total of 12 members, including 8 members from Pavitra Stri Shakti Sangha and 4 members from other Sangha, proceeded to the nursery work.

Appreciation for women’s achievements

Thus the central government’s NRML scheme to promote women’s empowerment and economic empowerment is progressing successfully in Kodagu. G.P.M.CEO Bhamwar Singh Meena, who personally visited the place, expressed his appreciation for the women’s achievements. He promised to provide all kinds of cooperation and stood in support of the development of the first nursery in the district.

Lilavati of Pavitra Streeshakti Sangh contact number: 9483242533

Variety Plant Nursery
Nut, 3 types of coffee, kachampuli, lemon, butter fruit and black pepper plants have been planted in the nursery. There are already about 15 thousand plants and in the near future there is a plan to make a nursery for cardamom and various fruit plants.

A good plant

In addition, Leelavati’s half acre land was taken on lease through a group of producers and a nursery was made in that place. Plant nutrition is done by mixing good quality soil, sand, organic manure, sowing seeds of good variety, planting vines, providing water, spraying medicine.

70 thousand spent so far

In the beginning, the women paid for the facilities of the nursery at their own expense, and recently an installment of money has come. 70 thousand has been spent so far including salary.

Everyone has cooperated in this work of women and they are eager to develop the nursery further. Soon Makkandur Gram Panchayat is ready to sell plants at a discount price.
The women in the group will also be paid by the government.

The road to self-reliance

All the members are actively involved in the work activities and contribute to the achievement of the association. The Sanjeevini Union was started in order to show the path of self-reliance to the women of the village, and the women of Makkandur village have benefited from it.

Necessary loan facility is also available from the association. Rural women have shown that if you put your mind to it, you can achieve anything. This is the first nursery in Kodagu district and recognized at the state level as well. Apart from benefiting from the central government scheme, she is also a role model for other women.

Report: Stanley. D. give

source: http://www.irishivideo.com / I V News / Home> Latest News & Updates>Technology / by Stanley D / August 25th, 2022

Patriotic Fervour Marks I-Day Celebrations

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Records, All, Uncategorized

Coorg Public School and PU College, Gonikoppal:

Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations  began with hoisting of the Tricolour. Students dressed up as legendary freedom fighters revisited the milestones of historical journey from 1857  to 1947. The Copsians took part in a plethora of activities such as dances, songs, speeches and dance dramas. Principal Dr. Benny Kuriakose spoke about the significance of National Emblem and the Tricolour. The programme concluded with rendition of National Anthem.

Sarada Vilas College, Krishnamurthypuram:

To commemorate Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, Sarada Vilas College honoured six freedom fighters of Mysuru city and had organised a special talk on Freedom Movement in India and the planting of saplings in the campus.

Freedom fighters  S.L. Ramachandra,  Rangashetty, Dr. M. Somashekaraiah, B. Lingaiah, B. Puttanna, Y.C. Revanna, retd. Col. Ravi Shirahatti were feted. Dr. J. Anand, Dr. Yeshwanthkumar and Thejas Gowda introduced the freedom fighters. Prof. Shashikaka, retd. Botany Professor, introduced late freedom fighter Krishnamurthy, an alumnus of Sarada Vilas College. Dr. M. Devika, Principal, presided and said it was a blessing for the Institution to honour freedom fighters. She opined that patriotism must run into the blood and soul of the students so that each one can contribute to the nation. Secretary N. Chandrashekar and Governing Council Members Narasimha and Ramachandra were present.

University of Mysore History Professor R. Rajanna spoke about various phases of freedom struggle during 1857 to 1947.  M.N. Abhishek welcomed. Adhithya Bharadwaj compered. Darshan proposed a vote of thanks. Literary Committee Convenor Dr. Rekha was present.

JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru:

The National Flag was hoisted by Dr. B.S. Basavarajaiah, Rtd. Civil Engineer & Eminent academician, who was the  chief guest of the day along with Registrar, JSS AHER, Principals and staff of constituent colleges of  JSS AHER.

As part of Har Ghar Tiranga campaign, Mysore Heritage Round Table & Ladies Circle-109 had organised a Free Flag distribution programme at Kukkarahalli Lake in city. Veteran freedom fighter B. Lingaiah was the chief guest. Seen are (from left) 41 Er. C.V. Mahesh, Round Table Area-13 Chairman Tr. Ram, MHRT-109 Chairman Tr. V.K. Vaibhav, freedom fighter Lingaiah, MHLC-109 Chairperson Vinutha Dutt, Past Ladies Circle National President Cr. Namratha Shenoy, Tr. Deepak and IPC Tr. Kumarpal.

S.V.E.I. Institution, Vijayanagar 4th Stage:

T.N. Narasimha Murthy, Commissioner, City Municipal Council, Hootagalli, was the chief guest.  B. Shivalingappa, Hon.Secretary, S.V.E.I. presided. Dr. M.K. Potharaj, President, S.V.E.I., K.M. Rajashekar, Vice-President, T. Prabhakar Shetty, Treasurer, Shobha Rajashekar, Director, Lady members Komala Potharaj and Nuthan P. Shetty, Section Heads and parents were present. The programme started with March-past followed by band, flag hoisting and other cultural programmes including dance, song, karate, yoga and drill.

Nypunya School of Excellence, R.T. Nagar:

Retd. Bank Officer B. S. Narayana Gowda hoisted the Tricolour at the School premises during I-Day celebrations and addressed the gathering. Principal Shilpa Prashanth, Secretary Kautilya, teaching staff, students and parents were present. Various cultural programmes were presented on the occasion.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Gallery> PhotoNews / August 22nd, 2022

New Office-Bearers Of Gokulam Kodava Sangha

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Records, All
Sitting from left: Muckatira P. Mandanna (Joint Secretary); Dr. Bottengada G. Ponnappa (Vice-President); Wg. Cdr. Mundumada D. Aiyanna (special invitee); Ammatanda K.Chinnappa (President); Mrs. Chendanda Navin Aiyappa (Secretary) and Chenanda Aswini (Nancy) Kuttappa (Treasurer);
Standing from left: Committee Members Bottengada G. Belliappa; Ulliyada Chidananda; Puliyanda Sujatha; Kodandera S. Pavithra; Iychettira S. Preethi; Kuttanda Myna Muddappa; Kavadichanda Devamma; Muckatira Sujatha; Dr. Devanira M. Nandakumar and Kollimada Daya Achaiah.

A group photo of new office-bearers of Gokulam Kodava Sangha for the period 2022-24 who were elected during its 16th AGM held recently.

Another special invitee Nayakanda U. Appaya not in pic.

source:http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Gallery>Photo News / August 22nd, 2022

Koothi — a self-sustaining village in Karnataka’s Kodagu

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, Uncategorized,

‘One for All, All for One’ is the motto driving Koothi, a settlement in Kodagu district, which has a lesson or two to teach in self-governance.

Madikeri : 

In the sylvan vistas of Kodagu stands a village, small, yet tall and proud. As one approaches Koothi, as this village is known, it becomes certain that this self-sustaining microcosm of fraternity, self-reliance and equality, has stood the test of time to create a system of self-governance, keeping its residents in a state of well-being and independence.

“The soul of India lives in its villages,” observed Mahatma Gandhi. Living this thought, Koothi’s vision for self-governance, while maintaining its democratic and just values, is a unique study into the concept of decentralisation.

About 53 km from district headquarters Madikeri, one is welcomed into Koothi by a vast ground that hosts a community hall and the grama samithi (village committee) building. As one proceeds further, neatly laid-out estates and houses form the heart of this settlement. The village, primarily composed of Vokkaligas and members of Scheduled Castes, symbolises cohesion and belonging. What one finds even more extraordinary is that Koothi abides by its own set of administrative rules and regulations, untouched by modern policies and laws. 

“Since ancient times, the grama samithi has been in existence to ensure development and well-being of the village. Any problem or dispute is resolved within the village and our unity is our strength,” explains Mohan MD, president of the Koothi Village Committee.

While Koothi does fall under Tolurushettalli Gram Panchayat, it nevertheless has its own village committee. The village has three sub-villages – Hosmane, Dinekere and Kerekoppa. Once every two years, four villagers are nominated from the sub-villages, who form the committee.

Further, the president and vice-president are elected by the nominated members and this non-political team ensures overall development, welfare and safety of the village. The committee meets at least once every month. “There are over 160 houses and over 600 residents in the village. At least one member from each household must attend the meeting. Anyone who fails to be present is fined,” Mohan adds.

(From left) Lakshmikantha, KT Joyappa and Mohan MD, in
Koothi village | Express

Further, the committee holds the important responsibility of maintaining cordial relations between all the villagers, and any dispute is first heard by it. “There are less than a handful of instances when villagers have approached the court or police. Most of the disputes, including property or family rifts, are resolved within the village,” mentions KT Joyappa, former president and a consultant of the committee.

Dispute redressal is very systematic. An application is first forwarded to the committee, which is addressed during the meeting. After the hearings from the parties involved, the dispute is resolved amicably.

“In case of a property rift, committee members visit the spot for an inspection. The committee possesses detailed land survey documents of the entire village. Further, witnesses are heard in favour of both parties. Following this, the issue is heard during the meeting and a judgment passed after consulting and taking into account the facts fulfilled by a majority of the villagers. It is not just the committee members’ decision, but a collective judgment of the village,” states Mohan.

Rarely, there have been instances when a few villagers have moved court against the committee’s decision. “But in all these cases, they have returned to abide by the decision of the committee. While court hearings take years, a dispute addressed by the village committee finds closure in about two meetings,” shares Lakshmikantha, secretary of Someshwara Yuvaka Sangha.

Meanwhile, all proceedings are recorded in a ledger, safely preserved in a secure locker at the committee office. “No matter what, the proceedings recorded in the ledger are not shared with anyone – not even the police,” says Mohan.

The village committee has a separate bank account to collect fines. “The massive committee office and the community hall were built using funds collected by the committee. For the hall which was built over two years ago, each household contributed Rs 17,000. We aim to become self-reliant in all ways and the unity amongst us helps achieve the same,” shares Mohan.

Thanks to its novel, yet time-honoured approach to self-governance, the Koothi Grama Samithi has won accolades from the government too. While villagers from the interior have to frequent the taluk offices for paperworks, officials visit the village as and when summoned by the committee. 

Koothi’s social milieu
There is an interesting regulation that forbids marriage between residents of the same village. “All of us in the village are like siblings. We have grown up together as blood relatives and hence, from the times of our ancestors, marriage between men and women from the same village is forbidden. Anyone violating this norm is fined,” confirms Lakshmikantha.

Any death in the village is mourned by one and all. The victim’s family is spared the duties and expenses, as every household donates a log of wood to set the pyre and all arrangements at the village graveyard are made by villagers.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Prajna GR / Express News Service / October 17th, 2022

Karnataka’s Ankita, kicking high with karate

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All, Sports, World Opinion,

It is no secret that India is a cricket-crazy nation and it won’t be an exaggeration to say that life comes to a standstill when the Men in Blue are out on the field.

 Ankita with her coach Shihan Keerti.
Ankita with her coach Shihan Keerti.

Madikeri :

It is no secret that India is a cricket-crazy nation and it won’t be an exaggeration to say that life comes to a standstill when the Men in Blue are out on the field. But there are other sportspersons, too, who are trying to carve out a niche for themselves. India’s success in the recent Commonwealth Games at Birmingham when the Indian Tricolour was hoisted scores of times in less-popular sports is a testimony to this.

Opting for such sport is Ankita BT from Madikeri, who is kicking high with karate. Already a junior black belt holder, this 21-year-old has bigger dreams, not just for her, but for the entire nation. Her tryst with karate began as a nine-year-old. “Karate always seemed challenging and I started training,” she recalls. She says there were not many takers for karate among girls and felt the need to break the stereotype.

Ankita, who has been training at Phoenix Academy India in Bengaluru, made her debut at the national championship when she was in Class 8 and craved to achieve more. Since then, she has participated in the All-Indian Independence Cup in 2015, Bangalore Open Karate Championship in 2016, All-India Independence Cup in Goa in in 2016, All-Independence Cup, All-Indian Sports Extravaganza VIE  in 2017, Intercollegiate Karate Championship in 2017, KAI Nationals, Indian Seiko Kai Karate Championship and more. She has won several gold and silver medals in many of these competitions.

“Karate is recognised by the International Olympic Committee, but not by the Indian Olympic Association. Though the Karate India Organisation supports athletes to take part in the World Championships and other Asian Championships that help us attain the World Karate Federation ranking, it does not fund the players. Expenses are covered only for the Olympics and Asian Games and we have to spend our own money to take part in other international events,” she adds. A South zone and a state medallist, she is also the vice-chairperson of Women’s Sports Commission of Akhila Karnataka Sports Karate Association.

She is now in Thailand participating in the Open Karate-Do Championship that started from August 19. “I have been training regularly and my ambition is to take part in more challenging championships. I also look forward to participating in the Karate 1 Series A at Kocaeli in Turkey and Karate 1 Series A Jakarta Indonesia Championships in September,” she says.

But sourcing funds has been the biggest challenge and seeks support from the state and sponsors to achieve her goal of representing India and Karnataka at these championships. She says she wants to educate girls on the need for self-defence and motivate more women to join the sport.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by Prajna GR, Express News Service / August 21st, 2022

Know why Field Marshal KM Cariappa said during the 1965 war not to return my prisoner of war son!

Amazing Feats, Defence Services (Air,Land,Sea),Police (wef. Dec 09th, 2021), Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All, World Opinion

KM Cariappa was the first Field Marshal of the Indian Army in independent India who was made the Chief of Army Staff on 15 January 1949. He started his job with the appointment of a Second Lieutenant in the Rajput Regiment of the Indian-British Army. Along with being the first army chief, Cariappa was the first five star rank officer of the Indian Army. KM Cariappa served the country by serving in the army for 30 years and retired in 1953. But it was not at all that after retirement he stopped his service. Even after retiring, he continued to contribute to the army in one form or the other. On 15 May 1993, KM Cariappa merged with the Panchatattvas.

There is a very popular story about KM Cariappa when he told Pakistan not to release his son and treat him like other prisoners of war. But why did he say this, let us know. The talk is about the 1965 war when it was the last day of the Indo-Pak war. On this day Squadron Leaders KC Cariappa, AS Sehgal and Kukke Suresh were given orders to bomb Pakistani positions. But in the first round of bombing, Pakistani soldiers attacked the aircraft of AS Sehdal with anti-aircraft guns. Although AS Sehgal survived the attack, he had to go back to the base camp.

After his departure, KC Cariappa and Kukke remained in the field and were busy destroying the positions of their enemies. But in the meantime Cariappa’s plane became a victim of continuous Pakistani bullets. Cariappa’s plane got damaged and landed like a ball of fire in Indian territory but Cariappa’s body fell on Pakistan side. After falling, Pakistani soldiers surrounded him and took him into custody. When KC Cariappa was caught, he was asked if he was a relative of KM Cariappa, he told the Pakistanis only his name and rank.

As soon as the President of Pakistan Ayub Khan came to know that KM Cariappa’s son had been taken into custody by Pakistan, he immediately made an announcement over the radio that KM Cariappa’s son had been taken into custody. He conveyed information to KM Cariappa through the Pakistani High Commissioner in India that his son could be released if he wanted, but KM Cariappa, a firm believer in his principles, refused. He said that KC Cariappa is not only his son but the whole country, so he should also be treated like other prisoners of war, but if he wants to leave then other prisoners of war will also have to be released. Other prisoners of war are also like my sons. KC Cariappa remained in the custody of Pakistan for several days and was later released along with other prisoners.

source: http://www.newsdayexpress.com / Newsday Express / Home> Career / by Bhagyashree / August 17th, 2022