Napoklu: On the occasion of the United Nations World Minorities Rights Day, the Codava National Council (CNC) marked its 14th Annual Public Gun Carnival, known as "Thok Namme," with fervor and jubilation at the Cauvery Estate in Kolkeri. Led by CNC supremo N. U. Naachappa, the event showcased the cultural significance of the Codava Race's religio-racial sacrament, the Gun.
Guns adorned with flowers were worshipped, and a shooting competition ensued for children, women, and men, with a significant turnout of Codavathi women participating in the festivities. The Gun, considered a Religio-Racial Sacrament of the Codava Race, was highlighted through Thok-Namme, an annual Public Gun Carnival organized by CNC to showcase and demonstrate ancient pride, age-old customary practices, and folk legal systems.
The Codava Race, deeply rooted in its racial traits, connection to Mother Earth, Mother Nature, the divine spring Cauvery, tribal ancestry, hereditary communal lands, unwritten oral folk-legal systems, and Gun Culture, commemorated these aspects during the event. The Gun holds special significance as a relic of the past, present, and future for the Codava Race.
In a show of resilience against historical challenges, Codavas have been exempted from obtaining licenses for possessing weapons since the era of disarmament. However, challenges have arisen, particularly since the amalgamation of Coorg State in 1956, leading to the jeopardization of Codava religious sacrament Gun rights. The CNC, in response, resolved to put forth demands, including the carving of Codavaland Geo-Political Autonomy, protection of Codava Racial Sacrament Gun rights under constitutional provisions, and special gun shooting training for Codava women for self-protection.
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The event also saw the conferment of the "Codava Vibhushana" award to nine individuals for their outstanding contributions in various fields. The chief guest for the occasion was B. K. Hariprasad, a Member of the Karnataka Legislative Council and Former Rajya Sabha MP, with A. S. Ponnanna, Virajpet MLA, and Legal Adviser to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah graced the function.
As the Codava Race seeks to preserve its cultural heritage and safeguard its religio-cultural symbols, events like Thok Namme become a poignant expression of resilience, identity, and the celebration of a rich and unique heritage.
CNC resolved below mentioned demands in the presence of the congregation.
1. Carve Codavaland Geo- Political Autonomy with Internal Political Self Determination Rights.
2. Codava Racial Sacrament Gun should be protected on par with Kirpan of Sikhs under Article 25 and 26 of our Constitution.
3. Govt should initiate special Gun Shooting training for Codava women for self - protection, as Codava Racial Tribe live in a strategically hilly terrain which is not densely populated. After amalgamation into Vishal Mysore, demographic shift has taken place which has reached it's nadir point at present. Hence safety and security is paramount for Codava women who live in geographically isolated mountainous terrain.
Also at present seditious elements are sheltered in villages and hamlets of Coorg.
4. The Government should remove all kinds of administrative hurdles with regard to the issuance of exemption certificates. Govt should provide a single window program for issuance of the same.
5. Codava parents should provide Exemption Certificate and Gun compulsorily to their Daughters while getting married. To include Gun and Gun Exemption Certificate in the Potti dumbchiduva ritual.
6. In all Codava rituals, Gun shot is fired. But nowadays due to intimidating tactics of Govt. all our Gun rituals have taken a back seat. Gun shot is fired during birth, death, wedding and even during theerthodbhava at Talacauvery.
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