All posts by admin

Coorg and the reorganisation of States

About Kodagu / Coorg

When it was a Part C State, the government in Coorg was a mobile administration going to the people anticipating their needs

The discourse on the imminent birth of Telangana brings back memories of the glorious career of Coorg, now Kodagu district, as India’s tiniest state. The flashback is both sad and inspiring.

Not many are aware of the challenge the Lilliputian Part C State of Coorg had thrown to the advocates of big States by proving, beyond any doubt, that small States can thrive on their own. Every day in Coorg, the government’s dispensation was an engagement with people and was indeed a mobile administration going to the people, anticipating their needs.

For no fault of it, Coorg was snuffed out of existence. Recommendations of the States Reorganisation (Fazl Ali) Commission led to Coorg, then known as the Switzerland of South India, merging with the Mysore state, a backyard district of the new State in 1956.

Since then, heroic campaigns were launched by N.U. Nachappa, leader of the Codava National Council, who unsuccessfully knocked at the doors of the Union government demanding the restoration of the independent status of Coorg.

Telangana could be a ray of hope for Nachappa and his never say die compatriots to pick up the thread and join the race.

The movement for a unified Kannada land had stretched over nearly a century.

A Rs. 15,000-crore plan, based on the D.M. Najundappa Committee report on regional imbalances relating to the Hyderabad Karnataka region is also on the anvil. Similarly, the Bombay Karnataka region had smouldered under incensed grouse of neglect.

This piece does not attempt at lobbying for the rebirth of Coorg as an independent State. All that is intended is an essay in looking at things in their proper perspective. The virtues of the experience of Coorg as a civilised, modern, and democratic entity stand out in dire contrast to the sordid record of the titans of contemporary times.

Now, the anatomy of the dwarf — the birth place of the Cauvery which sprouts in Brahmagiri in Talacauvery, Coorg, with Mercara as its capital — was a marvel of 60×40 mile geographical dimensions.

Its population at the time was 1,30,000. It had affinities, for long, with the neighbouring Kannada land ambience. It had its own language without a script. So, Kannada was the mainstay which qualified its merger with Mysore. Before it bloomed into a Part C State alongside of Himachal and others, it had stints of royalty and direct British suzerainty.

It was the land of coffee, accounting for almost the whole national production, orange, honey, the best specimen of teak and other woods of commercial value spanning its ever green forest wealth, fed and supported by an unfailing south-west monsoon.

The land of Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa and General Thimmaya composed of sons of the soil, together with immigrants, Coorgs are a proud race influenced by westernisation.

This pride built into their psyche a strong sense of identity which they were keen on protecting and it found expression in the birth of the Takkadi party.

In the early 20th Century, the shadow of movement for unification of Karnataka had been cast on an unwilling Coorg.

The Takkadi party with a veteran Gandhian in Pandyanda Belliappa, was a dominant political force and voice of Coorg with its anti-merger plank. It lost the first Assembly elections in 1952 to C.M. Poonacha of the Congress, equipped to shoulder the responsibility of steering the fortunes of the first Part C State.

The Assembly had a strength of 24 members and the Cabinet consisted of just two members. While the Chief Minister was C.M. Poonacha, (who also held the finance portfolio), the other was Home Minister, Kuttur Mallappa. The head of State was the Chief Commissioner, Colonel Dayasingh Bedi. As the governor’s equivalent, Colonel Bedi was presiding over the meetings of the Cabinet.

The new democratic dispensation was a kind of a second liberation for Coorg. All through the Poonacha regime, the relationship between the government and the people was exemplary and cordial.

Because of its tiny size, people from the farthest tip in the South Kutta, near the Karntaka-Tamil Nadu-Kerala tri-junction, could reach the capital at midday, finish their call on the administration and go back to their home early in the evening.

There was no corruption. Neither was there beggary and no mosquitoes and malaria, the curse of Malnad of which Coorg was part. Literacy was almost cent per cent which was far higher than the national average.

Despite the fact that Coorgs enjoyed the licence to bear arms, surprisingly nobody talked of gun-related offences and crime.

On the other hand, the gun was the harbinger of new life as gun shots were fired at the birth of a baby as there were gunshots to mark bereavements.

Does one believe that weddings, though gala affairs, were a co-operative venture with the invitees contributing their share of the expenses of wed locks.

Financial viability

Talking about financial viability of the tiny State, agricultural income tax, covering the whole gamut of agrarian activity, including forest produce, formed the mainstay of the budget supplemented by traditional Central aid.

(The writer is a veteran journalist.)

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Karnataka / by C.M. Ramachandra / October 20th, 2013

Olympians to run as volunteers in Salwan Cross Country Run

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Sports

Olympians Shiva Thapa, KT Irfan and MR Poovamma would be running as volunteers with the visually impaired school children at the Coca-Cola Salwan Cross Country Run on November 10 at the Army Equestrian Centre here.

Apart from running alongside visually impaired children, Shiva Thapa, Irfan and Poovamma would also promote and emphasize upon the tenets of Salwan Cross Country Run — to encourage clean and fair sports at the grassroots level.

This year’s edition of Salwan Cross Country Run would witness participation by more than 1700 visually impaired and differently-abled schoolchildren, all of whom would be running with a volunteer to aid them during the race.

All the three Olympians, who would be running as volunteers, are under the aegis of Anglian Medal Hunt Company, a venture that seeks to nurture talent in the arena of Olympic sports and beyond.

From a humble beginning of 300 students running in the year 1995, the race saw participation from 48000 students from 800 schools across India along with 1800 visually impaired, 200 intellectually challenged children running in 2012.

The participants and winners across each category underwent a dope and age verification test at the 18th edition of the Salwan Cross Country Run last year, with an objective to promote principles of fair play and protection of the athlete’s right to compete in a fair and drug free competition — an initiative that would be strictly enforced this year also.

source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> PTI Stories> National> News> by Press Trust of India / New Delhi – October 20th, 2013

Shankar Mahadevan named ambassador of Storm Music Festival

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Popular composer Shankar Mahadevan has strengthened his ties with camp-out event Storm Music Festival, by coming on board as its ambassador. He says it was “natural” for him to associate with such an “energising” event.

Mahadevan headlined the second edition of Storm music fest, which was held in Karnataka’s Coorg earlier this year. He mesmerised fans with a performance in collaboration with Indian Ocean.

Apart from Mahadevan’s name and face, the festival will see his participation in identifying hidden musical gems from across the country and the world.

“I first heard about the Storm Festival over two years back. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that India has a festival where music lovers can camp-out amidst tight security, where there’s a strong check on drug abuse and everything is organised to the T…,” Mahadev said in a statement.

“The experience is so energising that you want to come back to the festival every year. So, it was only natural that I joined hands with a beautiful festival such as Storm, which is truly a musician’s paradise with great talent from India and across the world,” he added.

The Storm Music Festival debuted in 2012. Its third edition will take place Jan 31, 2014 to Feb 2, 2014 at a new venue, which will be unveiled shortly.

Storm Festival director and Liquidspace Entertainment Pvt. Ltd managing director Lavin Uthappa is happy to associate with Mahadevan, who has won four National Film Awards.

“We’re honoured that Shankar Mahadevan felt a sense of belonging as a musician when he came to Storm earlier this year. The sense was strong enough for him to share his time and wisdom with us to make the festival larger and more vivacious in its entirety.

“It was during Storm earlier this year, when we briefly spoke of together making the festival magnanimous and reach out to every music lover across the world,” he said.

source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> News-IANS / Cinema-Showbiz / by IANS / Mumbai – October 10th, 2013

Chandigarh Institute of Hotel Management organizes coffee cuisine contest

Coffee News

Chandigarh :

As part of World Tourism Week celebrations being organised by UT administration, Chandigarh Institute of Hotel Management, at sector 42, organized coffee race and coffee cuisine contest.

Illumination of prominent buildings – Open Hand Monument, Le Corbusier Centre, Museum and Art Gallery, UT Secretarial has been done. Special discounts on food/accommodation can be availed at CITCO hotels. CITCO also organized complimentary ride for around 200 physically challenged students of a local school. The students were thrilled with joy as they were taken on city tour on CITCO’s hop on and hop off Bus.

A total of 10 teams from local hotel management colleges participated in the cuisine contest and carved out delicious coffee flavoured dishes. The first prize was bagged Sujeet Kumar Yadav and Stanzin Smislex (Chandigarh Institute of Hotel Management) 2nd prize by Pallavi Kundra and Saloni Jain (Home Science College, sector-10) whereas 3rd position went to Janit Bhutani and Sukhjeet Singh Walia (CGC, landran).

The main attraction of the evening was tour the city with a dice held with lot of enthusiasm in Sector 17 plaza. A Large ludo exhibited of sectors, tourism spots was depicted at the ground level where public participated and played with a large Ludo dice. While the game was on, The Band Kalkii enthralled the visitors and tourists with their hits.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chandigarh> Cuisine / by Vibhor Mohan, TNN / September 30th, 2013

Reality bites for Bhamaa and Deepika

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

The story of Ganesh’s character in Auto Raja — which is based on a collection of tales about several auto drivers in Bangalore — is not the only one that has been inspired by elements of reality. The film’s female characters — who are played by Bhamaa and Deepika Kamaiah — are also based on real-life people.

(Bhamaa )
(Bhamaa )

Director Udayprakash says, “Deepika’s character is a strong corporate woman and I’ve met a person like her when I was working at a television channel. Our company started a radio wing and appointed a lady to head the channel. Her way of handling work was very different. She seemed more like a commanding person, and wanted to get work done at the earliest. However, this attitude didn’t go down well with her subordinates. But little did people know that she was a good-hearted person. I gave Deepika shades of her character.”

Bhamaa plays a village belle in the film, and this character has also been inspired by a real-life person. “Bhamaa’s role is loosely based on a girl who used to sell coconut water near a hospital in Rajajinagar. She later become an actress and did pretty well in the industry. I wanted someone who has certain innocence and Bhamaa fit the role perfectly. She comes in as a village girl and transforms herself by the end of the film. She has even lost some weight for the role,” says Uday.

The director also says that all the characters in the film are based on real-life people. “Even the supporting characters are based on real-life people. The film is a take on reality,” he says.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Entertainment> Regional> Kannada> Coconut Water / by Sharanya CR, TNN / June 17th, 2013

Tata Coffee opens extraction unit at Tamil Nadu’s Theni

Business & Economy, Coffee News, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg)

Asia’s largest plantation firm Tata Coffee Wednesday unveiled its premium extraction plant at Theni near Madurai in Tamil Nadu to process the beans into freeze dried powder for exports to global markets.

Set up at a cost of Rs.80 crore with an installed capacity of 2,000 tonnes per annum, the hi-tech plant will produce spray dried, agglomerated and freeze dried instant coffee, retaining its aroma better.

“Freeze dried coffee retains aroma better and gives rich flavour, colour and appearance to the beverage,” Tata Coffee managing director Hameed Haq said in a statement from Theni, about 500 km from Chennai.

The plant is strategically located at the company’s instant coffee manufacturing facility, which is 170 km from Tuticorin port in the southern part of the state for export shipping.

“Our expertise in the bean to brew value chain, efficient processes and focus on sustainability has helped us maintain leadership position in the business. The expansion of our instant coffee facility demonstrates our commitment to provide premium coffees to customers worldwide,” Haq said.

As a 100 percent export-oriented unit, the instant coffee facility has an installed capacity of 4,000 tonnes per annum.

The Theni plant became a top exporter of soluble coffee to Russia and CIS countries last fiscal (2012-13).

As a subsidiary of Tata Global Beverages Ltd, the company produces 10,000 tonnes of shade grown Arabica and Robusta beans in its 19 estates across southern India and exports green coffee to Asia, Europe, North America and the Gulf region.

source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> News-IANS> Business-Economy / IANS / Bangalore – June 19th, 2013

Vivanta by Taj, Madikeri makes it to Conde Nast Traveller hot list

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy

Mumbai :

Vivanta by Taj, Madikeri, Coorg, has made it to the Conde Nast Traveller US, UK and India’s Hot List 2013.

The Conde Nast Traveller list showcases some of the most authentic havens for travellers across the globe. The list is published every year.

Situated at an altitude of 4,000 feet within 180 acres of a subtropical rainforest, the review says the hotel is the perfect retreat for nature lovers and sybarites. It offers panoramic vistas of the mountains. The surrounding rainforest’s lush canopies are home to over 350 species of flora and fauna.

Each Vivanta by Taj hotel presents experiences rooted in the local culture. At the Madikeri hotel, guests can get their hands dirty in a 2500 square feet pottery studio, or interpret an elusive rainforest with the `rainforest insider’, or explore the Vivanta Conservatory: a living chronicle of the land of Kodavas, or enjoy a personalised 101 candles dining experience in a large outdoor amphitheatre, or listen in on Dr Belliappa, the noted historian of Coorg, as he narrates tales from Madikeri.

The two-year-old brand, Vivanta by Taj, was ranked 36 in the Top 50 most sought after hotel brands in the world in the World Luxury Index 2013, compiled by the Digital Luxury Group, in association with Ecole Hoteliere and the Luxury Society, which is an international ranking and analysis of the most searched for brands within the luxury industry.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> Companies / by The Hindu Bureau / Mumbai – June 25th, 2013

Encroachers volunteer to vacate forestlands in Kodagu dist

About Kodagu / Coorg, Agriculture, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature

There is good news for the Forest department, which is striving to clear encroached forestlands. Villagers, who had encroached upon Subraya sacred grove, in Korangala village, near Bhagamandala, have voluntarily decided to vacate the land and have submitted a letter of consent in this regard.

On survey number 106, behind Subramanya temple, in Korangala, there is sacred grove of 59.34 acres. Six persons, who had encroached upon 8.70 acres of land, have decided to vacate it voluntarily.
N S Bojappa (two acres), N J Somanna (1.5 acres) N N Kalappa (1.50 acres), J S Subraya (two acres), B N Lokanath (1.5 acres) and N N Jnanashekar (0.20 acre) have handed over the land to the Forest department. In a meeting held in front of Nangaru Ainmane, the villagers handed over a letter of consent to ACF C Shashi. Following the development, T B Somappa (0.50 acre) and K D Seetha (two acres), who had encroached upon Ayyappa sacred grove at Sannapulikotu, have also decided to vacate the land.
Speaking to Deccan Herald, J S Subraya said, “Our ancestors had encroached upon the sacred grove land, knowingly or unknowingly, and we were cultivating coffee and cardamom. The forest officials brought the issue to our notice. So, we decided to vacate the land and help conserve forests.”

There are approximately 13,371 acres of sacred grove lands in Kodagu district. Some of them have been encroached upon by local farmers. There is no exact statistics on the encroachment.

However, we can identify the encroached land, said Shashi. “We are trying to convince the villagers to vacate the land on their own. Basavanna Devara Bana Samithi had issued notices to farmers, through its lawyer, urging them to vacate the encroached land at Valnoor-Thyagathur Basavanna Sacred Grove.

Now, we have written letters to all sacred grove committees, seeking details and have asked them to vacate encroachers. If the encroachers fail to vacate voluntarily, we have to do it legally,” he said.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District / by Srikanth Kallammanavar, Madikeri / DHNS / October 24th, 2013

All districts to be brought under ESIC

Business & Economy

Mangalore :

Soon all employees in the 30 districts in the state will be under Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) cover.

At present, over 17.70 lakh employees attached to 55,000 factories and business establishments in 27 districts are benefiting from the ESIC scheme. ESIC has plans to expand the scheme benefits to workers in Bidar, Chikmagalur and Kodagu districts.

Union minister of state for labour and employment Kodikunnil Suresh said after inaugurating the sub regional office (SRO) of ESIC here on Thursday that a survey in this regard has begun in these three districts. “While Bidar will be brought under Bangalore SRO, Chikmagalur and Kodagu will come under Gulbarga and Mysore SROs respectively,” he said. He added that ESIC has disbursed 50,000 payments amounting to about Rs 10 crore in 2013 in the state.

He said that the corporation has tie-ups with 85 reputed hospitals and nursing homes for providing cashless super specialty treatment in the state. “A total of Rs 126.45 crore has been spent towards super specialty treatment of employees in 2012-13,” he added.

Suresh said that government-level discussions are on to introduce national floor level minimum wages (NFLMW). “The cabinet has already approved the proposed amendments to the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 that will make NFLMW statutory. The matter has been forwarded to the law ministry for its nod. We will pursue the matter to ensure minimum wages for all workers in organized and unorganized sectors in the nation. A Variable Dearness Allowance (VDA) will also be added to the basic wage to neutralize the effect of price rise. At present, VDA is non-statutory and revised generally twice a year. The new act will make VDA mandatory,” the minister said.

Labour minister PT Parameshwara Naik presided over the event, while MP Nalin Kumar Kateel was the guest.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Mangalore / TNN / October 25th, 2013

Govt gives green signal for high-tension power lines

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Science & Technology

Amidst opposition from the environmentalists, the State government has given green signal to the Kodagu district administration to re-start the work on Mysore-Kozhikode 400 KV high-tension electricity supply lines.

In a letter written to the the Kodagu DC, State Forest, Environment and Ecology Dept Principal Secretary S Sivashailam has said, “If the electricity wire, that passes through 55 km area in Kodagu is laid above 15 metres above the ground, it would not harm the elephants. Therefore, the electricity wire laying work can be re-started.” It can be noted that normally electricity wires are laid 9 metres above the ground.

The letter, has evoked opposition from the environmentalists. Recalling the recent High Court judgement which had directed the government to re-consider all the work that passes through elephant corridors, an environmentalist said that Lingapur, Maldare, Thithimathi, Kanur, Nalkeri, Kutta and surrounding areas where the proposed hi-tension wire passes through, are habitats of elephants. Several trees will have to be cut for laying the hi-tension wire, which will adversely affect the animal habitat, the environmentalist said.

Following the opposition from the environmentalists, Deputy Commissioner Anurag Tiwari had written to the government on October 21, requesting the government to re-consider the matter. In reply, forest department principal secretary has directed the DC to start the work.

Government’s letter

The letter by the forest department chief secretary, states further, “the State government while giving permission to the work on March 1, 2012, had imposed a condition to the Powergrid Corporation that the hi-tension wire which passes through reserved areas of elephants in Kodagu and Mysore, should be laid six metres above the normal height.

The elephants even if they raise their trunk, can not reach the wire at 15 metres height. Therefore, laying wire at this height, would not harm elephants.”

Further, the letter clarifies that the High Court in its judgment on October 8, too has imposed a condition that the electricity wire should be in such a height that elephants should not be able to reach it. Hence, laying wire at 15 metres height would abide by the HC directive too.

The 120 km long 400 KV hi-tension wire from Mysore to Kozhikode will pass through 55 km land in Kodagu. Of this, 4.45 km is forest land, while the remaining is private land and plantations.
The wire laying work has been completed from Mysore to Lingapur (Mysore-Kodagu border) on the one side, and from Kozhikode to Manandavadi (Kerala-Kodagu border) on another side. As the work faced severe opposition from environmentalists in Kodagu, the work was halted for sometime. If the project is implemented, it would provide 520 MW power to Karnataka and 260 MW to Kerala from Koodankulam nuclear power plant.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District / by Srikanth Kallammanavar, Madikeri / DHNS / October 24th, 2013