Category Archives: Amazing Feats

Forgotten tales of valour and courage: NNRC in Korea and General KS Thimayya

July 21, 2020Amazing Feats, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All, World Opinionadmin

Synopsis

In Nov 1948, Thimayya moved Stuart tanks in utmost secrecy by dismantling their turrets and used them in direct firing role that led to the capture of Zoji-la which had evaded capture on previous instances. It was because Zoji-la was in our hands that liberation of Kargil was possible in 1999.

There were three elements to India’s largely unknown role in the Korean War 1950-1953. This is the second in a continuing series on that conflict. For the earlier story on the 60th Para, click here (https://bit.ly/2DW0PHS)

India became a member of the United Nations when the organization was founded on October 24th, 1945. Established to ensure world peace—among other goals— after a ruinous World War, the UN has had a mixed track record. One of its successes, however, was the bringing of the Korean War to a close. India played a unique role in bringing the conflict to a speedy conclusion by advocating against a policy being debated at the UN which could have led to the war’s prolongation or escalation. That war was also the first commitment to a UN assignment by an independent India and the Indian Army. This contribution and the men who made it a success are still celebrated as heroes for their commitment and courage.

The Korean War began on 25th June 1950 and would rage for three long years between the Western alliance—led by the USA under a UN resolution called the UN Command—and a Socialist alliance of North Korea and China (known as the Korean People’s Army (KPA) and the Chinese People’s Volunteers (CPV)) supported by the Soviet Union. The two sides reached a military stalemate by the middle of 1953 and had agreed on the terms of a ceasefire. In truth, the war would have come to an end in 1952 if the peace talks held at Panmunjom on October 25, 1951 could have reached a decision on the question of prisoner swaps. This was a contentious topic, and one where India finally found the solution—a solution accepted nearly unanimously by the UN, allowing for the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement on July 27, 1953. India’s efforts to find a compromise failed more often than not, increasing tensions between India and the United States, and even South Korea. The US had reasons to suspect Indian neutrality as we were among the first countries to recognize China diplomatically, even advocating for their seat at the UN in 1950.

A major issue that defied agreement was how to deal with a large number of Korean and Chinese prisoners—about two hundred thousand of them—held by the UN Command. Many prisoners refused to return to their original countries. There were also a few similar UN prisoners, mostly Americans, held by the Korean People’s Army (KPA) and the Chinese People’s Volunteers (CPV))

The Armistice agreement stipulated that a Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission (the NNRC) would be established with two countries from each bloc, and headed by India—underscoring our nation’s reputation as a neutral country. Thus the NNRC had Czechoslovakia and Poland from the Eastern Bloc, and Sweden and Switzerland from the West. India was also tasked with providing a brigade of soldiers to provide security for the prisoner exchange.

The NNRC decided the fate of the remaining 20,000 POWs —and their repatriation—also called the Big Switch. It followed Operation Little Switch in April-May of 1952, which saw the exchange of wounded and sick soldiers held by both sides. The solution included handing over these prisoners to the NNRC headed by India. A full Indian contingent of nearly 6000 called Custodian Force of India (CFI) were to take over physical custody of these prisoners; this was our nation’s initiation into peacemaking and conflict resolution.

Led by General Thimayya as Chairman, and Ambassador B.N. Chakravarty, IFS, as the Alternate Chairman, the Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission (NNRC) was a task that many did not think Indians would be able to handle or deliver, because of its layered complexities and intrigue.

The Indian government had made sure to send their best medical unit 6oth Para Field Ambulance earlier ( https://bit.ly/2CrHWfn) and now, in sending General KS Thimayya—later to be the COAS— they displayed the same intent.

The force behind the NNRC

Kodandera Subayya Thimayya was one of three brothers born to a rich coffee planter of Cheppudira clan in Madikeri in the district of Kodagu. He joined Bishop Cotton School in Bangalore before enrolling at the Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College (RIMC) in Dehradun; he was one of six Indian cadets later chosen to attend the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst along with Gen PN Thapar who would later succeed him as the Chief in 1961 and be made a scapegoat for failures in 1962. Gen Thimayya’s brothers too joined the Army and his elder brother Ponnappa later joined the INA inspired by Subhas Chandra Bose and his younger brother died in the first war in Kashmir.

Thimayya graduated from Sandhurst in 1926 and received a commission into the British Indian Army, going on to become the first Indian to command an Infantry brigade: the 268th Indian Infantry Brigade—part of the post-World War II British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan. He received the British Distinguished Service Order for his service for the British military during World War II.

General Thimayya was also chosen to lead the counter offensive in Kashmir and headed the Jammu Kashmir force from April 1948 . The J&K force was split as Srinagar and Jammu Division, Gen Thimayya headed the Srinagar Div in May 1948 . Immediately he set about recapturing territories lost to the marauders with his daring and dynamic brigade commanders – Brig LP Sen of 161 brigade in Uri Sector, Brig Atal of Para Brigade tasked to recapture Zojila and Harbaksh Singh in command of 163 in Handwara – Kupwara . They were on a recapturing spree when Nehru decided to unilaterally declare suspension of operations as the case was referred to the UN much to the protestations of the army brass. Fortunately Pakistan didn’t comply with the UN resolution allowing the re – commencement of operations. This window of opportunity saw the consolidation of Ladakh with the capture of Zojila Dras and Kargil. Leh a weakly held garrison was saved by the sheer audacity and courage of Thimayya and Air Cmde Mehar Singh who landed in a Dakota together for the first time in Leh paving the way for beefing up troops that saved Leh from enemy hands . In another audacious move for capture of Zojila tanks of 7 Cavalry was used in a direct firing role which completely destroyed the enemy morale leading to its capture . Thus Ladakh was saved in the nick of time by November 1948 before winter set in . Seeing the change in pace and tempo of operations Pakistan quickly agreed to the terms of the UN resolution calling for a ceasefire before it lost all other territories held by them. The rest is history but what stood out is the sheer character and audacity which made him a national hero for saving Kashmir .

Another anecdote that revolves around him is the detention of a senior politician’s son after he and some goons passed lewd remarks and even tried to molest the wife of an Army officer of 5 JAT in Amritsar in 1959 . With the personal involvement of none less than that of the CM Of Punjab the ripples of this action went up to Parliament. General Thimayya was summoned for an explanation and his response that silenced the opposition was “If we cannot defend the honour of our women, how can you expect us to defend the honour of our country?”

His ability to project India’s honor was on full display during his handling of the NNRC in Korea.

The NNRC through CFI was responsible for gathering non-repatriated prisoners into camps; that included nearly 170,000 prisoners held by UN forces who didn’t want to return to either China or North Korea.

In the face of Chinese demands for the forceful repatriation of their soldiers, the UN and the CFI worked hard to explain to each prisoner their rights and privileges; they could then choose to go home or remain with the side that captured them.

This called for compassion, fairness, and neutrality on the part of the Indian Custodian Force, who rendered yeoman service during the entire span of their mission from September 1953 to March 1954. On several occasions, intricate situations were resolved only because of the patience and tact of General KS Thimayya and Major General SPP Thorat. They proved their mettle, earning well-deserved praise for their command and for India.

It was an unenviable task; in the end only less than 100 who wished not be repatriated to either country came back to India once the NNRC and CFO concluded their operations. A few Koreans chose to resettle in India, while others were repatriated to Brazil.

General Thimayya is not only an Indian military hero he is also a hero of the Korean War . It has been 66 years since the end of the Korean war but even till day he is remembered by Koreans with gratitude and affection. He was awarded a Padma Bhushan in 1954 for his service in Korea.

General Thimayya went on to become the COAS from 1957-1961. After his retirement the UN again requested for his service in 1964 to command UN troops operating on Cyprus in keeping with his reputation of impartiality displayed in Korea . He would however die of a massive heart attack on December 18, 1965 at the age of 59.

————–

Col ( Dr) Divakaran Padma Kumar Pillay, Shaurya Chakra, PhD is a Research Fellow, with the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. His twitter id is @dpkpillay12.

—————
source: http://www.economictimes.indiatimes.com / The Economic Times / Home> National> Business News> News> Defence / by ET Contributor – Col.(Dr)Divakaran Padma Kumar Pillay / July 21st, 2020

Pondman Kamegowda On Madikeri Akashavani

July 14, 2020Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainmentadmin

Madikeri Akashavani in its ‘Krishi Ranga’ programme on July 15 at 6.55 pm, will feature ‘Pondman’ Kamegowda, who recently hit the headlines after PM Narendra Modi made a reference to him in his monthly ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme on All India Radio (AIR) last month.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> In Briefs / July 14th, 2020

Skies Clear For Mysuru Girl To Become State’s Second Woman Fighter Pilot

July 4, 2020Amazing Feats, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, Alladmin

Mysore/Mysuru:

Everyone has some or the other ambition or dream to achieve when they are in college but very few of them live their dreams or choose the career they wished. Mysuru-based Coluvanda Punya Nanjappa has achieved her childhood dream or call it passion to be a fighter jet pilot.

She has been selected for the training and once she completes it, she will be a fighter pilot, a rare distinction for a woman who has her roots in Kodagu, a land of defence personnel. Though the district has achieved the fame of producing a Field Marshal, a General and innumerable Lieutenant Generals, Brigadiers and Majors in the Indian Army and their equal ranks in the Navy and the Air Force, it is for the first time a woman fighter pilot is emerging from the tiny district.

In fact, she will be the only second woman from Karnataka to be a fighter jet pilot after Meghana Shanbough from Chikkamagalur and is the lone woman in her ongoing training course where there are 40 future fighter pilots.

Last year, Punya became the only women cadet from Karnataka to be selected for the flying branch training at the Indian Air Force Academy. The training for cadets who are selected for the flying branch is divided into three stages. Punya has already completed the Stage-1 of her training at the Academy in Dundigal in Telangana and has been selected to join the fighter stream where she will undergo Stage-II training at Hakimpet, again in Telangana.

The training stages are vivid and is a combination of adventure, skill and deft manoeuvring. They will be trained to engage in air-to-air combat, air-to-ground combat and sometimes electronic warfare while in the cockpit of a fighter aircraft. Fighter pilots undergo specialised training in aerial warfare and dogfighting (close range aerial combat).

After Stage-II, Punya will be commissioned as an officer to undergo Stage-III training. She is likely to be commissioned as an officer in the next passing out parade in December. Punya has always wanted to join the fighter pilot stream and her childhood dream has been realised. A resident of Vijayanagar in city, Punya was selected as a Trainee Pilot of IAF Flying Branch last year.

Punya with her batch-mates at the Training Academy in Telangana.

She is the daughter of Anuradha Nanjappa (a teacher at St. Joseph’s Central School) and late Coluvanda P. Bala Nanjappa (he was serving as the Manager of Prabha Theatre), native of Chambebellur in Virajpet taluk of Kodagu district.

Punya completed her schooling at St. Joseph’s Central School in Vijayanagar, pursued her PUC at Vijaya Vittala PU College in Saraswathipuram and Engineering at NIE, Mysuru. Punya then took up Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT) — an officer recruitment gateway in three branches of Air Force — Flying Branch (Short Service Commission only), Technical branch (Permanent and Short Service Commission) and Ground Duty Branch (Permanent and Short Service Commission).

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / July 03rd, 2020

She rakes in medals for India even after 3 decades

May 26, 2020Amazing Feats, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All, Sportsadmin

Reeth Abraham is one of India’s most well known athletes participating in the hurdles, long jump and heptathlon events, with a career that began in 1976. She has won various medals at several international competitions including at the Asian level. Her achievement stands out particularly since she won a medal at the Asian level less than a year after she became a mother.

Reeth, at one of her practice sessions at Kanteerava Stadium / Pic: Deepthi M S — Reeth, at one of her practice sessions at Kanteerava Stadium /
Pic: Deepthi M S

Although she retired from competitive athletics in 1992, this 49-year-old has continued training over the years and is now active as a Masters athlete. In 2011, she won 2 medals for India at the World Masters Athletics meet at Sacramento, USA in the triple jump and long jump events. Among various awards and recognitions she has received over the years, she has been a recipient of the Arjuna Award in 1997. She is one of the founding members of Clean Sports India. Reeth lives in Koramangala.

Citizen Matters caught up with her for a brief chat at the Kanteerava Stadium, just after she had finished her day’s training.

Reeth, enough is known about your career as an athlete but only last year, your achievements at the World level as a Masters athlete caught our attention. How does one even qualify?

Clean Sports India is an organisation founded to rid Indian sport of its twin malaises, lack of sports persons in administration and drug usage. Clean Sports India aims to get former sportspersons into managing the various sports bodies in India including the Olympic Sports Federations, Associations and other Clubs in India, as opposed to administrators who have occupied positions of influence in various bodies without the sport itself making much progress. Its other objective is to ensure clean competition by keeping drugs away from both practice and competition.

This was my sixth appearance at the World Masters meet. One has to first qualify at the State Masters meet, for which you can just turn up and then the National meet, which you get to if you are successful at the state meet. If one is good enough and successful at the national meet, you get to represent India at the global level. The Karnataka state meet was held in Mandya recently. The World meet is in Brazil next year. The World Masters meet is held every two years. One needs to be over 35 years to be eligible as a Masters athlete.

How did you manage to train and keep in shape while raising two kids (Reeth is the proud mother of a daughter and a son)? Do you go to a gym regularly? What is your current training schedule like?

(Smiles) I don’t know how I managed. It just happened. I would sometimes leave my kids under the care of someone while I trained. It wasn’t easy but somehow I managed.

I train at the stadium 3 days a week and train in a gym on 3 days a week. I also swim occasionally for relaxation.

In addition to your involvement with the Nike Run Club, do you coach any athletes?

No I don’t have any trainees. There is not much time left on hand between my job and my own training outside my work hours.

You were recruited by a bank years ago. How has the situation changed for athletes on the sponsorship front?

I was amongst the first batch of athletes recruited by Corporation Bank. This was followed by various other banks later, which recruited various sportspersons. Some banks even had cricketers in their ranks. It is still very difficult for most athletes to eke out a living without sponsorship. That is one reason most athletes these days give up after a certain level since they don’t have the patience to put in years of hard work, which may or may not result in success. And even when one is successful, the recognition one gets may not mean much monetarily. Even as a Masters athlete, I have managed to get a sponsor for my travel to the World Masters meet but I am not sure how other athletes manage.

One of the things I have noticed at the Kanteerava stadium is the significant number of talented girls who are training as athletes, which is not quite reflective of the trend of India’s senior athletes. Where do they disappear as they grow older?

Reeth is one of the coaches at the Nike Run Club (NRC), an initiative from Nike to introduce ordinary people into running. Reeth helps the NRC attendees warm up through a routine of various exercises and then go for a run, before cooling down and helps various runners get introduced to the sport and get better at it, every Saturday at the Kanteerava stadium.

The problem is that as these kids grow older they have several options before them which are sometimes more rewarding. And as I said earlier, not all of them are willing to invest the effort and work hard for 10-12 years before tasting success at higher levels of athletics, especially when their hard work elsewhere can lead to success in other areas. And athletics after a certain point is extremely competitive. So I can see the perspective of the kids if they choose to focus elsewhere.

If you could change something in Indian athletics today, what would it be?

Make it enjoyable for young athletes to participate and compete. Once one reaches a certain level of competition, it is very challenging for an athlete to handle the pressure to perform and win medals. In my time, there was no one to help us on such matters.

What are your opinions on sports facilities in Bangalore?

In Bangalore, it is gradually improving. There are more people who are taking sports seriously.

You are a resident of Koramangal, what do you think of the sports facilities there?

Speaking of sports facilities in Koramangala, it is zero. I see no changes at all, the Koramangala indoor stadium for that matter, is used only for exhibition and nothing else.

Any message for aspiring masters athletes?

Unless you have been an active athlete earlier, events with throws (shot put, discus) and jumps (long jump, triple jump) are out, since they require special training and may result in injuries, if one doesn’t train carefully. Perhaps long distance running is an event a beginner can aspire to compete in.

source: http://www.bengaluru.citizenmatters.in / Citizen Matters / Home> Current / by Dharmendra D. / February 28th, 2012

Field Marshal KM Cariappa 27th Death Anniversary: Lesser-Known Facts About The First Commander-in-Chief of Indian Army

May 16, 2020Amazing Feats, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All, World Opinionadmin

Field Marshal KM Cariappa (Photo Credits: indianarmy.nic.in)

It is the 27th death anniversary of Field Marshal KM Cariappa on May 15 this year. He was the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army in Independent India. KM Cariappa is widely regarded as one of the most-decorated Indian Army officers of all times. There’s a lot to know when it comes to his life and achievements of his illustrious military career. If you are looking for interesting facts about Lt Gen KM Cariappa, his life, career, etc., then you have to come to the right place. We, at LatestLY, bring you some of the lesser-known facts about General Cariappa as we observe his 27th death anniversary.

1. KM Cariappa was born in a family of farmers, on January 28, in 1899, in Coorg. Not many people know that his childhood pet name was ‘Chimma’.

2. During his college days around 1917, he came to know about the Indian Army’s recruitment exercise. KM Cariappa was one of the 42 applicants out of 70 who were selected. The rest, they say, is history.

3. In 1925, KM Cariappa was sent on a world tour, where he came across a lot of foreign cultures, soldiers, and public. He was nicknamed ‘Kipper’ by a wife of a British officer who couldn’t pronounce his name.

4. In 1942, when he was promoted as the acting lieutenant colonel and the commanding officer of 7th Rajput Machine Gun Battalion, KM Cariappa became the first Indian to do so, in the Indian Army.

5. In the same year, i.e. 1945, he was promoted to the post of Brigadier. This made KM Cariappa the first Indian officer to fully attain this rank.

6. Not many people know that KM Cariappa was the officer-in-charge of the division of Army and its assets during the time of India’s independence in 1947.

7. During the First Indo-Pakistani War 1947-48, when the Indian Army HQ had strictly instructed to not conduct any operation in the Kashmir Valley, KM Cariappa didn’t obey the orders and instead launched offensive strikes in the region. The result of it was that India was able to assert its control over Ladakh and nearby regions.

8. In 1949, when Indian Army had to appoint the first Indian Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C), there were two other contenders, i.e., Shringanesh and Nathu Singh, along with KM Cariappa, who was in contention too. However, it was KM Cariappa who eventually took over as the first Indian C-in-C of independent Indian Army.

9. It is a little-known fact that the phrase ‘Jai Hind’, which was the slogan of Subash Chandra Bose-led Indian National Army (INA), was adopted by KM Cariappa, and has since then been the formal phrase to greet each other in the armed forces.

10. KM Cariappa retired from the post of Commander-in-Chief in 1953, after serving the position for 4 years.

11. Not many people know that he has also served as the Indian High Commissioner to Australia, New Zealand, after his retirement, until 1956.

12. KM Cariappa was also honoured with the Legion of Merit by American President Harry S Truman – one of the rare feats.

13. After being persuaded a lot by his friends and family members, KM Cariappa also tried his luck in politics. In 1957 Lok Sabha Elections, he contested unsuccessfully from North-east Bombay seat, against Krishna Menon.

14. In 1986, the government conferred the rank of Field Marshal on KM Cariappa as a mark of honour and recognition of his illustrious career spanning over three decades. He, along with Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, are the only people who have been accorded this honour, till date.

15. As per a legend, when his son, KC Cariappa was captured as a prisoner-of-war (POW) in the Indo-Pakistani War 1965, KM Cariappa was contacted by Pakistani General Ayub Khan informing him about his son’s safety, and even offered his release. However, KM Cariappa proudly replied, “He is my son no longer. He is the child of this country, a soldier fighting for his motherland like a true patriot. My many thanks for your kind gesture, but I request you to release all or release none. Give him no special treatment.”

KM Cariappa breathed his last on May 15, 1993. After suffering from arthritis and heart problems, he died in his sleep at Bangalore Command Hospital. As India observes the 27th death anniversary of the decorated soldier of the Indian Army, we at LatestLY, thank KM Cariappa enough for his selfless services, and wish his soul rests in peace!

source: http://www.latestly.com / LatestLY / Home> Lifestyle> Festivals and Events / May 17th, 2020

Brainchild of hockey festival no more

May 9, 2020Amazing Feats, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All, World Opinionadmin

Pandanda Kuttappa was conferred with the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award in 2015

Pandanda Kuttappa, the brainchild of the popular Kodava Hockey Festival, passed away at his residence here on Thursday. He was 85 and is survived by two daughters and a son.

Kuttappa, a former first-division hockey referee, conducted the inaugural tournament in 1997 with the help of his brother Pandanda Kashi Ponnappa. Through the tournament, Kuttappa aimed to bring all the Kodavas together under one roof and preserve the rich hockey culture of the district.

Held annually during April-May, the festival has grown to become the most popular event of the Kodavas. Since the first edition, which saw 60 teams competing, the meet has got only bigger. In 2017, with 323 teams participating, the festival entered entered the Limca Book of Records.

After its initial editions, the meet became a platform to unearth young talent as well. To groom the gifted players recognised in the Festival, Kuttappa, a retired State Bank of India manager, established the Kodava Hockey Academy.

“It’s sad day for hockey lovers,” said AB Subbaiah, the former India hockey goalkeeper, on Kuttappa’s demise “He has done a lot to the Festival. When he started this, he didn’t think it would become as famous as it is today. Full credit to his hard work,” said the former Olympian and coach, who is now the secretary general of Hockey Karnataka.

Subbaiah said with Kuttappa’s passing, the tournament will not be the same. “Kuttappa had only hockey in mind. Now with others to deal with, organising the event will not be free of challenges,” he said.

The Festival was a starting point of careers of India internationals Pradhan Somanna, Nikkin Thimmaiah and SK Uthappa. “We in Kodagu are fascinated by hockey. When I represented the country I thanked him (Kuttappa) for helping me achieve my dream,” said Nikkin.

“In all my interactions with him, he always told me that he wanted young players from Kodagu to go on and play for India. I owe my career to the Festival,” he added.

Last year, the tournament was cancelled due to the floods that ravaged Kodagu. The coronavirus outbreak forced the organisers to call off the meet this year. The Kulletira Cup was the last meet held under Kuttappa’s supervision in 2018.

Fondly known as ‘Kuttani’, he was conferred with the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award in 2015.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Sports> Other Sports / by Vivek MV / DHNS, Bengaluru / May 07th, 2020

This Kuttappa was the Baahubali of Coorg hockey

May 8, 2020Amazing Feats, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All, Sports, World Opinionadmin

Pandanda Kuttappa, legendary co-founder of Kodava Hockey Festival, is mourned by hockey lovers everywhere.

Coorg:

The world of hockey on Friday mourned an amazing man who promoted the game in Coorg by tapping into ethnic pride and kept it alive in the face of inroads made by packaged cricket.

Pandanda Kuttappa, a legendary figure in Coorg and co-founder of the famous Kodava Hockey Festival, died of old age-related problems on Thursday. He is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son, and remembered by countless thousands who love hockey. He was 85.

Along with his brother Pandanda Kashi Ponnappa, Kuttappa designed the Kodava Hockey Festival as a family hockey tournament exclusively for Kodava families. When it started in 1997—with finances arranged by the brothers themselves–few thought it would be anything more than a vanity event for a few years before everybody packed up and went home. They were wrong. The tournament tapped into the Kodava identity and gave it an intensity money-funded tournaments cannot match – be it the derby frenzies of football in England or the Oxford v Cambridge boat race. The Kodava Hockey Festival not only struck a chord in the coffee plantations of Coorg, it made the region a nursery for the game, producing an entire sequence of star players who graced the Indian national team.

Paying rich tributes to Kuttappa, Hockey India on Friday recalled his contribution to the sport and his crucial role in popularising the game in the south and making Coorg the breeding ground for hockey in the country.

“We are truly saddened by the demise of Pandananda Kuttappa. We share his family’s grief and pray for his soul. Kuttappa’s contribution to hockey especially in the Kodava region will be remembered for generations,” HI president Mohd Mushtaque Ahmad said in a statement.

The Family Hockey Tournament not only sees intense competition but also draws thousands to the hockey pitch. Interestingly, it has no gender bar for the participating teams. Women could play in the same team as men.

On an average, 250 families send teams to the tournament which is usually played during April-May every year.

Despite there being no age or gender bar for participating in the matches, the tournament is highly competitive, involving high-caliber hockey. Some strict rules apply: such as that all members of a team must belong to the same clan and participate in full hockey attire. It is for a woman to decide whether she wants to represent her father’s family or husband’s.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Sports, In Other News / by D C Web Desk / May 08th, 2020

Catch Of The Day! 38-Kg Fish Caught From Harangi Backwaters

May 6, 2020Agriculture, Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Records, Alladmin

Kushalnagar:

A group of youths who were fishing at Harangi backwaters in Kodagu District this morning were in for a pleasant surprise as they caught a giant fish that weighed 38 kgs. The fish was caught with the traditional method of fishing rod and angler.

The fish, Catla variety, was caught at Nakoor village along the Harangi backwaters by Preveesh, who then uploaded the same on his Facebook page. He said that though he was hoping for a good catch he did not expect this big a catch. Earlier too he had caught giant Catlas but this particular fish was his biggest catch. Today’s fish was sold at the local market.

Due to lockdown and lack of activities, there is a lot of fishing going on in the Harangi backwaters where youths come in many groups to fish. Typically, the fishing activity starts early in the morning and ends at around 11 pm. Local villagers from Nakoor, Shirangala, Suntikoppa, Hosathota, Kusboor and Madapura come to the backwaters to fish on the 5.6 km Harangi River stretch from the Harangi Dam to Koodige Bridge.

Traditional fishing is being held from many years in the backwaters of Harangi, which spreads over 1,886 hectares in area. Lakhs of fingerlings are released into the reservoir every year.

Some innovative villagers have even dug up irrigation ponds in the backwaters to supply water in summer to their fields. When the water storage is high at the Harangi Reservoir, these irrigation ponds get filled and submerge and when the water at the dam recedes, these ponds are full of water and fish.

Varieties of fish, including Mahseer, Catla and Rohu are released to Harangi every year and along with these, fingerlings procured from Kabini and Bhadra reservoirs are being provided to farmers at subsidised costs. Many families in this belt depend on fishing for their livelihood.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News . April 29th, 2020

New Discovery By Kodagu-Born Dr. Jagadeesh Moodera And Team At MIT

May 5, 2020Amazing Feats, Education, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Nri's / Pio's, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinionadmin

Quantum Physics deals with the behaviour of subatomic particles and is arguably the most complex branch of Theoretical Physics. I do not profess to understand this highly abstract subject but know that classical laws of Physics fail at quantum levels.

It boggles the mind when told that a subatomic particle exists simultaneously at two different spots. One location could be on your table and the other on the surface of Jupiter!

English Physicist Paul Dirac theoretically proved way back in 1930s that fundamental particles known as fermions should have a counterpart somewhere in the universe with an opposite charge – known as anti-particle.

Complicated. Difficult to fathom. I fail to comprehend. Based on this theory it is theoretically possible to have ‘teleportation’ that are portrayed in science fiction movies and books.

Coorg-born Physicist Dr. Jagadeesh S. Moodera has been a scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) since 1981. He has several path-breaking research papers to his credit. My wife and I had the good fortune of a guided tour of his laboratory at MIT during our visit to Boston to attend the Kodava Convention-2019, in September last year.

Dr. Jagadeesh explained the intricacies of the experiments that he and his team were involved in. It was fascinating to see a huge setup with myriad tubes, probes, cables and instruments in order to create a 100% vacuum in a space of about 2 cubic centimetres.

Part of the experiment was conducted in this small space which was absolutely contamination free. There was another setup equally complicated where a space was created for the experiment which was free of any kind of vibration – not even that created by the traffic in the streets distance away, or footsteps of students in the nearby corridors. In addition, this space is cooled to -273 degree centigrade (that’s as close as one could get to -273.15 degree centigrade which is absolute zero). The experiments were conducted under these ideal conditions and usually between 10 pm and 6 am when chances of vibration were the least.

The experiment Dr. Jagadeesh and his colleagues have been working on since 2012 was to discover what Italian Theoretical Physicist Eltore Majorana, extending on Paul Dirac’s theory, had postulated in 1937 that there should be some subatomic particles that are indistinguishable from their anti-particle.

Scientists have been looking for these particles named Majorana fermions. Many theories have emerged over the years. Theoretical Physicists at MIT and elsewhere predicted that Majorana fermions may exist on solids such as gold under certain conditions. Dr. Jagadeesh and his team were on a mission to discover the existence of the elusive Majorana fermion.

The experiment, extremely complicated, needed many long hours in the laboratory. Dr. Jagadeesh explained how the delicate research was carried out at nano-particle level and observed through Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM). STM is capable of ‘feeling’ the presence of atoms and molecules. 3mm x 3mm was the size of the surface on which the experiment was carried out, consisting of nano-wires of gold, grown on superconducting material: Vanadium.

MIT News dated 10th April 2020 has announced the successful sighting of the mysterious Majorana fermion by Dr. Jagadeesh Moodera and team. This is a major breakthrough. In Dr. Jagadeesh’s words ‘We have shown they are there, and stable, and easily scalable.’ Please visit webpage: http://news.mit.edu/2020/first-majorana-fermion-metal-quantum-computing-0410

The finding that Majorana fermions are scalable and could be made into qubits (individual computational units) is spectacular. These qubits could be used to build the most powerful and error free quantum computers. This will be a step closer to the phenomenon known as Singularity, which predicts that by the year 2042 AD there will be computers that will have computing power of all the human brains put together!

Once Singularity is achieved, humans need not invent anything further. Solutions to the most complex problems will be arrived at within seconds. If we had these computers today, a remedy for the current Covid-19 would have been found in a jiffy!

Dr. Jagadeesh’s wife Dr. Geetha Berera is a senior lecturer in MIT and we had an opportunity to visit her laboratory as well. The couple are totally dedicated to academics and research. Every year they visit Coorg and conduct a Quiz programme for school students. They are in the process of starting a school in Coorg under their organisation – CREATE Gurukula Trust – focusing on encouraging young minds in research activities. Meritorious students at Coorg Institute of Technology (CIT) are recipients of annual scholarships and awards instituted by Dr. Jagadeesh and Dr. Geetha. Dr. Jagadeesh and Dr. Geetha are eminent role models for young Kodavas to emulate.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / by C.P. Belliappa / May 04th, 2020

Kodava women set aside kitchenware, learn to aim and fire in Karnataka

April 28, 2020Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, Alladmin

The participants of the training programme were given certification from the police and winners in the shooting event were presented prizes.

Women take part in a gun training event in Gonikoppal. (Photo | EPS)

Madikeri :

Every morning for the past five days, a handful of women from South Kodagu had set aside their usual kitchenware in favour of licenced firearms with the aim of becoming expert shooters.

In a land where owning a gun is part of the tradition, taking a break from their daily routine to learn the use of firearms is a small price to pay. It also gives women good self-defence capabilities.

The women who underwent the training needed no coaxing. Proudly dressed in all whites and wearing sneakers, they used to rush to the Cauvery College Grounds in Gonikoppal where they learned to load guns, aim and fire at targets.

The shooting training was organised by the Gonikoppal police and over 60 residents from across South Kodagu took part in the programme. Among the trainees were eight women who have become amateur shooters after the training.

“Gun is worshipped in Kodava culture and it is a cliché to say that shooting is in the blood of Kodavas. However, the men are usually trained in this skill and it is only recently that girls are being trained in this tradition. Nevertheless, when opportunity knocks on the door, you don’t deny it,” said Bharati Bopanna, a resident of Ponnampet, who attended the training programme and won the third place in the shooting competition.

When Bharati heard that the police are training residents in shooting, she registered herself for the programme. “Women, especially married ones, are not used to much physical exercise. And the training programme stressed on physical fitness.

Apart from that, during traditional festivals, women are given loaded guns to perform ritualistic shooting. While I had tried my hands on shooting, I never really knew to load the rifle. After this training, I need not depend on anyone to load a gun.”