Category Archives: Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg

Renowned Dubai Dasara Kreedotsava to be held on October 11

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Sports, World Opinion

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Dubai :

Hemmeya UAE Kannadigaru, Dubai’ team will be celebrating Dubai Dasara Kreedotsava – 2019 on October 11, at the Etisalat Sports Academy here.

Several Kannada kids, women, men, athletes, sportspersons will be participating in this mega sports event this year.

The second Dubai Dasara Koota is being organized by ‘Hemmeya UAE Kannadigaru Dubai’ family, which will begin at 8 am on the said date. It will be inaugurated and presided over by an international sports star, Arjuna award winner, Ashwini Nachappa.

The programme will be officially initiated by the lighting of sports lamps by the chief guest and the rendering of the state anthem. This will be followed by several sports activities including athletics, throwball, volleyball, football, kabaddi, kho kho, musical chair, lemon and spoon race and frog race for kids, rangoli and Gombe competition for ladies and many other games.

This year, ‘Hemmeya UAE Kannadigaru Dubai’ decided to identify people of Karnataka with stellar contributions to sports by honouring them with ‘Kreeda Ratna’ award. The award will be presented by Ashwini Nachappa.

Well-known anchor and voice-over artist from Karnataka Shruti will be anchoring the programmes of the day.

‘Hemmeya UAE Kannadigaru Dubai,’ has requested all the non-resident Kannadigas currently living in Dubai to attend this sport meet in large numbers and contribute to the success of this mega sports event.

The press conference organized to announce the programme was attended by members of the team, Shashidar, Rafiq Ali, Sudeep, Senthil, Madhu Gowda, Anitha Ram, Mamatha Raghavendra, Mamatha Senthil, Pallavi, Hadiya, Dr Savita, Vishnu Murthy, Venkatesh and Satish.

source: http://www.daijiworld.com / DaijiWorld.com / Home> Middle East / by Media Release / October 10th, 2019

Kavya Madappa’s Bluecat Paper wants to make ‘tree-free’ paper mainstream

Business & Economy, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Green Initiatives / Environment, Leaders
Kavya Madappa | Photo Credit: Sudhakara Jain
Kavya Madappa | Photo Credit: Sudhakara Jain

Instead of wood pulp, Bluecat Paper uses cotton, linen rags, coffee husk, banana fibre, mulberry, corn husk and flax fibre among other things

Kavya Madappa’s cabin at Bluecat Paper, a company that makes upcycled paper, overlooks a small verdant garden with a passion fruit vine and other plants. A black native dog sleeps on a thick sheet that is spread on a plush couch. It is not her pet. “He just likes to hang out here,” says Kavya from her desk. The office, located in Peenya, is airy, green and relaxing — it is unsurprising that Kavya also owns a spa resort in Coorg.

“I grew up in Coorg. Having a large backyard with lots of trees is something I took for granted,” she says. When she moved to Bengaluru, it took a while to adjust to the city’s traffic and bustle. Most conspicuous — and disturbing — to her, however, was the rapid felling of trees. She realised this when she happened to witness the large-scale production of paper at a mill.

Paper is mostly produced from wood pulp, which requires sawing of timber and removal of bark. Environmental activist Mandy Haggith, in her book Paper Trails: From Trees to Trash – The True Cost of Paper, writes: “The paper industry consumes 42% of all the wood felled industrially every year and its share of the world’s cleared forest is an area of about three million hectares annually.”

According to worldatlas.com, in the past four decades, the use of paper has risen by 400%. Roughly 26% of solid waste dumped in dumping sites is discarded paper and paperboard. A report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations says that by 2050, more than half of the world’s total demand for wood and wood products is likely to consist of paper and paper products.

Bluecat Paper products | Photo Credit: Sudhakara Jain
Bluecat Paper products | Photo Credit: Sudhakara Jain

These numbers suggest that Kavya’s concern for trees at the paper mill wasn’t misplaced. She sought and found a way to make paper without wood pulp. For two years, she studied about paper, met papermakers and experimented with different methods. A 15-day hand papermaking course at the Kumarappa National Handmade Paper Institute in Jaipur equipped her to set up Bluecat Paper in 2018.

Instead of wood pulp, Bluecat Paper uses cotton, linen rags, coffee husk, banana fibre, mulberry, corn husk and flax fibre among other things to make paper. These raw materials, according to Kavya, are abundant. Even the quality of her “tree-free paper”, she assures, is as good as the ones made from wood pulp. But handmade papers are expensive as their production is labour- and time-intensive.

“Most machines are developed for rolls of paper, whereas handmade paper is made into sheets,” explains Kavya. She, however, hopes that “tree-free paper” becomes mainstream. “I had to scale it up because most of the hand papermakers I knew were making paper in their backyard or in small units. At Bluecat, we can make 5,000 to 6,000 sheets of paper a day,” she says. But this number is a trifle compared to the lakhs of sheets manufactured at a paper mill every day.

“Paper isn’t a big deal,” says Kavya, “It is use and throw. You don’t even think you are wasting paper because it is cheap… But it comes at a price for planet Earth.”

Kavya steps out of her cabin to pluck a raw passion fruit. “A tree needs to grow at least 20 years before it can be cut for paper. But by this time, it has its own little ecosystem.But one fine day, you come and cut 50,000 trees at one go and say, ‘It is okay’… Come on, it’s ridiculous!”

(Bluecat’s products are available on bluecatpaper.com and leading e-commerce sites)

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Praveen Sudevan / September 26th, 2019

Kodava Convention In US

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Leaders, Nri's / Pio's, Records, All, World Opinion

Over 400 attend grand ceremony in Boston

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Boston:

The North American Kodava Convention was hosted by Kodavas of Greater Boston area from Aug. 30 to Sept. 1.

Kodavas from across Continental US, Hawaii, Canada, India and UAE joined the convention that was one of the largest gathering of Kodavas in North America. Over 400 people attended the event.

The community came together as ‘Okka’ at the convention which was aimed at bringing the community closer, renew old relations and forge new ones, facilitate connections for youngsters who are growing up in a foreign land to their Kodagu roots and to help preserve and nurture the rich Kodava heritage, culture and language.

The event was organised at Marriott Copley Hotel in the heart of Boston. The weekend festivities kicked off with an informal meet of the gathering on the evening of Aug. 30 at the hotel lounge, followed by ‘Oorkuduva’ evening on Aug. 31 at the world-renowned MIT Media Lab, to showcase the intellectual side of Boston.

The ‘Oorkuduva’ evening had presentations regarding the origin of culture and biodiversity in Kodagu related to genealogy, including preliminary data from the ‘Kodava Genome Initiative’, which was presented by Prof. Maanasa Raghavan and her Ph.D. student Arjun Biddanda.

The evening also included a talent show of Kodava children in the art of public speaking, piano recitals, jazz-saxophone performance and singing. It was an idyllic setting for an ‘Oorkuduva’ gathering at the MIT Media, overlooking the Charles River and spectacular views of Boston skyline.

There was Kodava Vaalaga after dinner which got most of the guests onto the dance floor. The party then shifted to the Marriott Copley Hotel where Deep Chinappa entertained guests with his rock band, the ‘Deep C Divers’.

There were several daytime activities including tours of various historical and cultural Boston landmarks, walks along the popular Freedom Trail, kayaking on the Charles River and tours of MIT and Harvard campuses. The highlight of the Convention was the gala reception on Sept. 1 at the Grand Ballroom of the Hotel.

It was a Kodava wedding muhurtha-like atmosphere where guests sported their traditional attire. The programme included Kodava folk dances like ‘puthari kolaat’ by Kodava men, an up-tempo exhilarating ‘bode namme’ style carnival dance.

The programme also had panel discussions that covered topics like, “Our enchanting Kodagu: Change is inevitable! The resources are at their limits. How do we advance our beloved Kodagu on a global scale in a sustainable way, while preserving our unique culture, family values, and one-of-its-kind natural bounty? What role each person can play towards achieving these goals? How do we inspire youngsters and serve as role models to excel in whatever field they choose?”

The panellists included Belliappa Cheppudira, an educationist, coffee planter, an entrepreneur, an accomplished novelist and author of several books including ‘Tale of a Tiger’s Tail’, ‘Yarns from Coorg’, ‘Nuggets from Coorg History’, and ‘Victoria Gowramma: The Lost Princess of Coorg’.

Others were Dr. Zarin Machanda, Assistant Professor at Tufts University and Director of Kibale Chimpanzee Project in Uganda and Dr. Naren Anjaparavanda, Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Cincinnati.

After the discussion, the guests were treated to delicious authentic Kodagu food including ‘kadambuttu,’ ‘nooputtu,’ ‘Onakyerchi’ ‘nucchi kum’ curry, ‘kadale payasa’ and of course the traditional ‘pandi’ curry.

The evening’s programme also included an annual update from Kodava Koota and presentation of high school achievement awards sponsored by Bachranianda Muthappa and Rani Education Fund.

The convention ended with a resolve to organise the next convention at San Francisco Bay Area in 2020.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / September 22nd, 2019

Embassy Group and Ashwini Sports Foundation set the stage for ‘Making Sport in India’

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Sports
( Left to Right ) Mr. Suresh Menon, Sports Writer; Ms. Aparna Popat , Olympian – Badminton; Mr. Sunil Gavaskar, Cricketing legend; Mr. Jitu Virwani, Chairman and Managing Director, Embassy Group; Mr. Kamal Bali, President and Managing Director,
( Left to Right ) Mr. Suresh Menon, Sports Writer; Ms. Aparna Popat , Olympian – Badminton; Mr. Sunil Gavaskar, Cricketing legend; Mr. Jitu Virwani, Chairman and Managing Director, Embassy Group; Mr. Kamal Bali, President and Managing Director,

Bengaluru :

‘Making Sport in India,’ a panel discussion involving cricketing legend Sunil Gavaskar, Jitu Virwani – Chairman & Managing Director of Embassy Group and Founder of the Embassy International Riding School (EIRS), Badminton star Aparna Popat, Kamal Bali, President and Managing Director, Volvo Group India and well-known cricket scribe Suresh Menon, discussed the path towards a sports revolution in India.

Moderated by Ashwini Nachappa, India’s ace sprinter and founder of Ashwini’s Sports Foundation (ASF) based in Coorg, the panellists weighed in on topics including the challenges to creating a robust grassroots program for identifying and nurturing talent, and the need to reignite the love for the sport in school.

The forum, a joint initiative of Embassy Group and Ashwini’s Sports Foundation, also focused on the growing trend of the private funding of sport through competitive leagues, investments in state-of-the-art infrastructure and providing world-class training based on best practices arising from a better understanding of the science of performance.

Two such organizations presented their efforts – ASF, which concentrates its efforts on Athletics, Hockey and Shooting, and EIRS, based in Bengaluru, which focuses on equestrian sports. Recently, EIRS had major success when Fouaad Mirza, an equestrian rider and Arjuna Awardee, who trains at the school, won two silver medals at the 2018 Asian Games. He is now working to qualify at the Olympics with an eye on the medal finish.

ASF, founded in 2010, has several athletes in track & field, hockey, and shooting competing at the national level. ASF is a Khelo India Academy for Athletics, which provides training to talent identified under the Khelo India program. Partnering with various corporates, the Foundation boasts state of the art sporting facilities and technology that enhances performance across sporting disciplines.

Ashwini Nachappa, Founder of ASF, said ‘It is wonderful that we got to host a discussion around an area that has so much potential for growth in our developing country. Sport has a great future – it is through the passionate efforts of individuals and private organizations such as ours that we can focus on our efforts to create champions. Sport must begin at a young age in school.

Ashwini’s Sports Foundation currently hosts a school on campus called KALS, where sport and academics go together. Talented children are then identified and nurtured through ASF. I want to thank Jitu Virwani and Embassy for providing us with a terrific platform to tell our story. I hope those keen on supporting sport will come forward to help our program thrive and prosper.”

Jitu Virwani, Chairman & Managing Director of Embassy Group and Founder of EIRS, added, “When we first set up the Equestrian Academy back in 1996, we realized that while there is immense sports talent in India, it is not being brought to the forefront owing to several gaps. This can be bridged with corporates coming forward to help cultivate diverse sports talent in India, through collaborations with the Government and Private Institutions such as Ashwini’s Sports Foundation.

“Our journey and success in the 2018 Asian Games is a template for how other sports in India can reach milestones and shine across International platforms. Channelizing the CSR mandates of corporates towards sports will bring about an advancement in this field for the country. In Equestrian, we are now gearing up for the Olympics 2020 and confident that we will set another landmark in this sport.”

The event was attended by 20 Bangalore corporates who were encouraged to consider funding of sport in their CSR efforts, especially those of non-profit private academies focused on creating excellence in their chosen sport. The event was an initiative of Embassy Office Park’s Corporate Connect Program, which aims to bring together Business Park tenants and other corporates with like-minded Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) mandates, and experienced non-profits to address a diverse number of challenges faced in society.

This event was the 6th in a series of round tables and forums called the Embassy Engage Series that provides platforms for corporates to deliberate on a variety of social challenges.

source: http://www.mykhel.com / MyKhel.com / Home> More Sports / by Avinesh Sharma / September 21st, 2019

Sandalwood Actress Harshika Poonacha’s Father Passes Away At 68

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg

In what comes as a sad news, Sandalwood actress Harshika Poonacha’s father passed away today (September 16, 2019).

Reportedly, the actress’s father suffered for a brief period with an illness that affected his small intestine. He was recovering from a gastrointestinal surgery that he underwent recently.

The final rites are said to be held tomorrow at Kodagu. His body will be taken to their native village today evening.

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Only a few hours ago today, Harshika shared a family picture on her Instagram handle that was adored by her fans. She wrote, “My little family. Our traditional Kodava attire.” – (sic)

The news regarding her father’s demise came a few hours after the actress shared the above picture. The actress even recently toured Dubai with her parents. She had shared a few pictures from her trip, which showed the whole family sharing a few quality moments. The actress simply captioned the images as “My world” – (sic) followed by a few heart emoticon. These pictures alone speak volumes for the bond she shares with her parents.

Harshika Poonacha was in the news a lot when the infamous #MeToo movement broke out a few months ago.

She took everyone by surprise when she threw light on the reality of the film industry, speaking in detail about the unspoken behaviour of her fellow actresses, which often go unnoticed while blindly treating all men as accused.

source: http://www.filmibeat.com / FilmiBeat / Home> Kannada> News / by Chaitra Krishnamurthy / September 16th, 2019

Prize Winners Of Kodagu Golf Championship

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Records, All, Sports

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Following are the prize winners of the 18th edition of Kodagu Golf Open Championship-2019 organised by the Association of Kodagu Golfers of JWGC, Mysuru, in memory of Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa and Gen. K.S. Thimmaiah, recently:

Strokeplay Gross: M.S. Shreyash Chandra (69 Gross) – Winner; Amogh Daijad (71 Gross) – Runner; Stableford Gross: V. Prakash (33 Gross) – Winner; Hussein Vagh (32 Gross) – Runner; Strokeplay Net (H/C 0 to 12): M. Arjun Ranga (68 Net) – Winner; Dhruv Bopanna (68 Net) – Runner (Better Back 9 Over H.S. Arun Kumar).

Strokeplay Net (H/C 13 to 18): V. Prashanth (63 Net) – Winner; Dr. P.A. Kushalappa (68 Net) – Runner; Stableford Net (H/C 0 to 18): T.N. Parthasarathi (39 Points) – Winner; K. Krishne Gowda (39 Points) – Runner.

Stableford Net (H/C 19 to 24): Vasanth Kumar (40 Points) – Winner; Brig. N.N. Madappa (39 Points) – Runner; Stableford Net (H/C 0 to 24) for Seniors 65 Years and Above: B.S. Bahaddur (39 Points) – Winner; Dr. M.S. Ranganath (38 Points) – Runner.

Stableford Net (H/C 0 to 24) For Super Seniors 75 Years & Above: C.D. Nagarajan (38 Points) – Winner.

Best Kodagu Golfer – Stableford Net (H/C 0 to 24): Wg. Cdr. M.D. Aiyanna (36 Points); Best Lady Golfer – Stableford Net (H/C 0 to 24): Disha Kaveri (37 Points); Nearest to Pin (12th Hole): Lt. Col. K.P. Vijay Kumar (2 Feet 2 Inches); Longest Drive (9th Hole): M.S. Shreyash Chandra (330 Yards); Straightest Drive (5th Hole): Gayathri Mohan (On the Line).

A total of 237 golfers took part in the Championship.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports / September 15th, 2019

Annual Get-Together Of Jayalakshmi Kodava Association

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Records, All, Sports

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Mysuru:

The Fifteenth Annual get-together of Jayalakshmi Kodava Association was held recently at Kodava Samaja premises.

Association President Ballyanda P. Uthappa welcomed and presided. He also remembered the contributions of Immediate Past President late Alamengada Vittal.

Last year the get-together was cancelled due to floods in Kodagu and the Association contributed Rs. 1,53,201 towards the flood relief work through Rotary West.

The General Body formally elected Ballyanda P. Uthappa as President, Pandiyanda Girish as Vice-President, Jammada Ganesh Aiyanna as Secretary, Muckkatira A. Somaiah as Treasurer and the following as Committee members:

Biddanda U. Ganapathy, Pandiyanda Anil Cariappa, Konganda Thimmaiah, Mallangada Jayaprakash, Pattada Jaikumar, Dr. Thelapanda Kalappa, Thathanda Nishi Poonacha, Machanda Reshma Belliappa, Muruvanda Indira Ganapathy, Codanda Chitra Medappa, Kodira Jyothi Poonacha.

Merit scholarship was awarded to the following children of Association members: Machanda Varsha Devaiah (daughter of Machanda Sabeena & Devaiah), for scoring 95% in II PUC; Pandiyanda Neha Dechamma (daughter of Pandiyanda Savitha & Girish) for scoring 8.27 CGPA in BA Psychology Honours; Ichettira Navya Mandanna (daughter of Ichettira Roona Mandanna), for scoring 82% in X CBSE; Shabari Somaiah (daughter of Muckkatira Dimple & Somaiah) for scoring 88% in X CBSE; Sathvik Aiyappa (son of Pattamada Ponnamma & Subaiah) for scoring first class in BBA with 6.52 CGPA.

Manavattira Uttham Ganapathy was honoured for his achievements in Cricket especially for playing for the KPL Team; Moovera Tarun Ponnappa for his achievements at National-level in Martial Arts Jui-Jitsu (Gold Medal 12-14 years).

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / September 11th, 2019

Obituary – Prof. Biddatanda C. Ponnappa

Education, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg

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Prof. Biddatanda C. Ponnappa (retd.) passed away in Bengaluru yesterday. He was 96.

A towering personality in the field of education, he served in institutions in Madikeri, Tumakuru, Mangaluru and returned to Madikeri as Principal of Field Marshal Cariappa Government College.

Post retirement, he served as Principal, Cauvery Women’s College, Virajpet.

He was very active and rendered yeoman service to several educational institutions in Kodagu.

He was a member of Mysore University Syndicate also.

He is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son. His last rites will be held at his native in Napoklu around noon tomorrow (Sept.12).

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Obituary / September 11th, 2019

Ramakrishnanagar ‘I’ Block Kodava Welfare Association Meets

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Leaders

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Mysuru:

Ramakrishnanagar ‘I’ Block Kodava Welfare Association and adjoining residents of Mysuru, held its 19th Annual Meet at Hotel Roost under the chairmanship of Association President Nayakanda Mandanna.

The office bearers for the Ramakrishnanagar ‘I’ Block Kodava Welfare Association, Mysuru, were nominated for the next three years term. Kattera A. Nanaiah – President, Poodrimada Somaiah – Vice-President, Maletira Ganapathy-Secretary, Kodandera Pushpa Machaiah- Joint Secretary and Kenjangada Cariappa – Joint Secretary.

Bachamada Vasanth, Kelapanda Vinod Bopaiah, Mukalamada Shanthi Ramesh, Patrapanda Changappa, Kumbera Ganesh Pemmaiah, Kadyamada Vijay Cariappa, Mallangada Vinodha Madappa and Palekanda Nachappa – Committee Members.

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Past Presidents of the Association Dr. Kodira A. Kushalappa – Chief Advisor and Nayakanda Mandanna – Legal Advisor.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / September 11th, 2019

Arms Act Exemption To Kodavas: Stakeholders Urged To Present Facts Before Court, Government

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All

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Union Home Ministry seeks opinion from Kodagu DC

Madikeri:

The filing of writ petition in Karnataka High Court by Captain (retd.) Yaladalu K. Chethan, who has questioned the exemption to Kodavas and Jamma land holders in Kodagu district from obtaining a licence to possess firearms under Section 3 and 4 of the Indian Arms Act, 1959, has resulted in several Kodava organisations coming together to put up a united front to fight for their rights and resist attempts from vested interests to snatch away that privilege.

Among the organisations that are pressing for Kodava rights is Nelaji Farmers Club who has urged the Kodava community leaders, Kodava Samajas and other stakeholders to provide proper information to the Government and the Courts in this regard. Even Napoklu Kodava Samaja has criticised the filing of the writ petition and has extended its support to Codava National Council that is fighting a relentless battle to safeguard the gun rights.

On its part, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) told the High Court recently that the exemption granted since 1963 to certain class of people in Kodagu district from obtaining licence to possess and carry firearms under the provisions of the Arms Act, 1959, is being reviewed along with the review of the entire Arms Act to amend the old enactment.

Assistant Solicitor General of India C. Shashikantha informed the Court that MHA has constituted a Committee to review and suggested amendments to Arms Act, and the process had been initiated to secure the views of stakeholders with regard to exemption granted to a class of people in Kodagu district.

Addressing a press conference in Madikeri on Tuesday, Nelaji Farmers Club President M.K. Nanjappa said that Kodavas have been using the gun as an item of worship and a gun is a symbol of culture, tradition and is a part of a Kodava attire.

“A gun is linked to the life of a Kodava from birth and till death, and its cultural influence is one of the reasons why the British gave the community an exemption to possess firearms. When a child is born in the Kodava community, four gunshots are fired to let residents of the village know of the birth.”

“In villages in Kodagu, houses are spread out far apart and as a community we get together when a baby is born. Hearing the gun shots, residents know that a birth has taken place and they try and help in any way they can,” said Nanjappa.

Similarly, when someone dies, two gunshots are fired so that residents can rush to help the families in distress. “We take pride in our association with guns and they are not misused,” he said and added that the Courts and the Government must be informed about the exclusive rights of Kodavas so that the right stays.

“After the First War of Indian Independence in 1857, the British introduced the Disarming Act, which outlawed the use of weapons in Coorg. But in 1861, an exemption was granted for a class of people in Coorg to possess firearms, for the first time by Mark Cubbon, the then Chief Commissioner of Coorg,” Nanjappa explained.

“In 1878, the British drafted a law, which later came to be known as the Indian Arms Act, in which the exemption granted to the people of Coorg was extended to two groups of people — a person of Coorg (Kodava) race and a Jamma tenure holder. These rights are unique and Kodavas never misused this. The Kodagu District Administration must inform the facts to the Court and see to it that the rights are safeguarded,” Nanjappa demanded.

Club Secretary Sachin Ganapathy, Directors Viju Appaiah and Naveen Nachappa were present in the press conference.

Meanwhile, Kodagu Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy has stated that the District Administration has received a notification from the Ministry of Home Affairs seeking opinion on this issue. “We have sought some time due to the floods and landslides relief work in the district to carry out the consultation,” she said.

Background of the case

Y.K. Chethan, son of Yaladalu D. Keshavananda filed a Writ Petition in the High Court on Jan.8, 2018. In his petition, (WP No. 1386/2018), Chethan, a resident of R.T. Nagar in Bengaluru, claimed that the continuation of the exemption, granted to some class of persons by the British Government in pre-Independent India in furtherance of their divide-and-rule policy, was unconstitutional, as it was based on irrational, fictitious and discriminatory grounds, such as race and ancestral land tenure.

He claimed that the exemption granted to Jamma land holders and for the members of Kodava race under Section 3 and 4 of Indian Arms Act differentiates between communities living in a society and promotes disharmony.

The original petition (a Public Interest Litigation) was filed by Chethan in 2015 and the High Court had disposed it and asked the petitioner to submit a representation on his grievance about exemption to the Union Home Ministry. On its part, the Ministry had told the Court that the exemption provided to Kodavas was as per law. Not stopping at this, Chethan filed another Writ Petition in the High Court in 2018, questioning the arms exemption.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / August 31st, 2019