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Birunani(Kodagu): The Codava National Council (CNC) organised a human chain demonstration in Birunani on Monday, urging the Union Government to create exclusive Codava constituencies for the Assembly and Parliament within their traditional homeland.
The protest comes amid concerns over the ongoing delimitation exercise, which the CNC fears may ignore the representation of the indigenous Codava community. The organisation claims that three influential Tulugowda politicians are attempting to merge Codavaland with Sullia, a move they argue would undermine Codava political representation.
The CNC has put forth two alternatives: carving out separate Codava constituencies or establishing an "intangible, invisible" Codava representation model similar to the Sangha constituency for the Buddhist monastic community in Sikkim.
Highlighting their unique identity, the CNC compared Codavas to other indigenous groups such as Kashmiri Pandits, Native Americans, and Kurds, asserting their distinct racial and cultural heritage. They also cited Articles 244 and 371 of the Indian Constitution, along with the 6th and 8th Schedules, as the basis for their demand for geo-political autonomy.
Additionally, the CNC is seeking Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to ensure constitutional protection for Codavas. The group has also challenged past census enumerations that classified Codavas as a caste rather than a distinct race, calling for the rectification of census records from 1941 onwards.
The protest was led by CNC chairman N.U. Nachappa Codava and saw participation from several community leaders.
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