The Land that protects also needs to be protected!

This Pandemic has affected all of us in more ways than that we can imagine. I am not here to talk about the scale of it, the loss of lives, the lack of medical facilities, the implementation of the lockdown, the plight of migrant workers or the economic mess that it has created. There is far too much content on it and I don't want to be another half- baked expert with an opinion at the tip of my finger. However, I am grateful for this Pandemic in a personal selfish sort of way as it has helped me look at things from a whole different perspective. 

This is probably the first article I have written sitting at my house in Coorg. Before this Pandemic, I could not even imagine spending more than a week in Coorg. All my visits to Coorg over the last 10 years or so has been very business like. I came home either for a weekend, a festival or for a social gathering. But this feels like summer holidays from back when I was in School. The only difference is that instead of home work, I now have some office work to complete; although the flip side is that we are not able to go visiting or having cousins, uncles and aunts coming home. This unplanned long break in Coorg is just what the Doctor ordered. 

I am glad that I get to be in Coorg during this pandemic. Moreover, with a young toddler, I cannot even imagine sitting inside a flat in Bangalore. I am sure a lot of my brethren from Coorg feel the same as I do. I really feel grateful for the land that I come from. The house and the space to move around, fresh clean air, the smell of rain, the sound of birds and crickets chirping, the sight of Malabar squirrels jumping from one tree to the other or the fact that my little one got to spend time with her grand parents and experience a whole different life; I can go on and on about the small little things that has made it a joy to be in Coorg during the lockdown. 

It is only when we hear about the hardships that one faces in the City or elsewhere during a lockdown that we understand the value of the place that we come from. This land offers us all that we need for a good decent way of life, Fresh water straight from the ground, jackfruit palya and curry to green leafy vegetables and bulbs, pumpkins and mushrooms and other fruits and vegetables, I got all of this and more in and around my house. And the icing on the cake so as to say, I don't even have to bother about waiting for the garbage pick- up every morning. 

I am also grateful for the place that I come from because of the people that make up this place. Be it the officials or the traders or the common man, everybody has understood their responsibilities and played their roles to near perfection. Most common folks like us came out only when we were allowed to, covered our faces when we were out and supported each other to deal with the situation. The District administration of course has played a tremendous role in dealing with this situation. From closing down an entire village soon after one single case was detected to opening of essential services shops for only 3 days a week, the administration was on top of things always. The fact that they understood the situation and even created a level playing field for everybody by moving the markets to common open spaces and declaring the daily prices of commodities left little room for controversy. 

This being said, I hope all of us including the officials and the powers to be also look at the situation and be thankful that we are in a place like Coorg during this crisis. I hope the next time that they sign on the dotted line for a land conversion project, they think of the scenario now and imagine what a new layout would bring with it. It would be more people to manage, more areas to monitor and more civic and criminal issues to deal with. Let us for a moment imagine the situation if we had a railway line or 4 lane highways running through Coorg. We would have had more permanent outsiders because of such infrastructure. The Railway stations would bring with it the colonies to house officials, workers and their respective families, shops and hawkers plying their trade around these stations and a whole lot of civic infrastructure that would be needed to make this work. Instead, today our rivers, streams and tourist spots are actually clean and breathing again because of the lack of human influence and intervention at the moment.

I know that a lot of what I have written above sounds romantic and the argument can be that I am a fool and do not understand the reality of actually living in Coorg. The point put out be will ideally be that the crop is bad, labour costs have increased, man animal conflict and the changing weather patterns have caused destruction and hardship and to top it all, the price for the produce is dismal. And if some had a home stay to supplement the income from the estate, then this pandemic has put a spanner in the works over there as well. Unfortunately, the powers to be instead of supporting the main income of the people which is agriculture and plantations and finding ways to support this sector will talk about fast tracking the so called development projects and increasing tourists inflow to supplement income. 

We of course need tourism, but let us use this situation to define the type of tourism that Kodagu requires. To start with, a study to understand the carrying capacity of the district and then design tourism policies around it so that it helps in retaining the natural beauty of Coorg while helping local original inhabitants of the land benefit from it. Create better market opportunities for coffee, pepper and other plantation crops including oranges, avacados, jackfruit and other fruits and vegetables. Help people retain the land by looking at policies like the payment for ecological services that has been well elaborated in the Madhav Gadgil report. Encourage Paddy cultivation by offering minimum support price for paddy which will detest land conversion while helping improve the water table of the district on the whole. All these policies will not only benefit Coorg but also ensure the water and food security of the whole of South India. 

The Prime Minister while announcing the first lockdown said, "Jaan hai to Jahaan hai" and this message is so apt for Coorg. If we do not protect this land, then we are doomed! So let us be thankful for this land and work towards protecting it to benefit all of us. We are in the Green zone today from a Pandemic and nature perspective and it is important that we do everything in our power to keep it like that. 

Is a ban the best way to protect our Culture?

The recent decision of the Ammathi Kodava Samaj to ban liquor at the Ganga Pooja or the Neeru Edupa ceremony has drawn mixed response from Kodavas all across the World. While some have welcomed the ban, others have opposed and ridiculed it. I and most people in my friends and family circle are of the opinion that it is a ridiculous idea and one that should not have been entertained in the first place.

The Committee is of the opinion that Alcohol in Ganga Poojas spoils the sanctity of the Ceremony and is disrespectful to the bride and other women and so we cannot serve Alcohol during the ceremony but can do it after that. Because of a few stray incidents, some protectors of our culture have decided that the best way to avoid such incidents is to ban alcohol during the ceremony and serve alcohol after that.

Alcohol, whether we like it or not is an intricate part of our culture. Be it karana kodupo or meedhi beppo, no ceremony is complete without alcohol being a part of it. And unlike most other communities, we do not hide to have our drink. Since the time we were young kids, if a guest came home closer to meal time, it was customary to serve alcohol before serving food. Conversations at home in the evenings would be with the grand fathers and Uncles holding a glass in their hand and we kids’ playing around. Of course, the volumes in arguments increased after a few drinks but everybody knew their place.

There is no denying the fact that of late, there have been cases where some people have gone overboard and made a mockery of the whole occasion. But this new rule is only going to make things worse. The whole neeru edupo ceremony is going to be for formality sake and will kill the fun in the occasion. A wedding is a celebration of 2 families coming together. The Neeru edupo is one occasion where the families get to know each other. The Neeru edupo ceremony is already diluted with most men and women not preferring to wear traditional clothes for the occasion and with this rule, the actual neeru edupo will have less than 10 people and the drinking after that will be just another party.

Moreover, this rule is going to make us look like every other community that equates alcohol with bad behavior. I am not saying that we have to encourage drinking of alcohol. But let us not fall into this moral policing business. We are dwindling as a Community and occasions such as the neeru edupo ceremony bring the community together. Instead of banning alcohol, let us find a way to regulate the ceremony. Restrict the time for the ceremony to not more than 3 hours and do not let people carry alcohol near the bride and dance with a glass in their hand.

We are better than this. We do not need a ban to protect our culture. We are not going to teach our kids anything by purifying our customs to suit a brahminical narrative. The Kodava Samajas need to stop being hypocrites. They are not helping to protect our culture by this ban. They are in fact diluting it. Instead of this ban, let the Samajas encourage families conducting weddings to ensure that all guests turn up in our traditional clothes. Let the Samajas impart cultural education in Schools, build better infrastructure. There are other ways to raise funds than impose a fine on people. Let us not take the fun out of weddings and ceremonies which is what makes our Community special.

The Vote that Counts!

In less than a week from now, Karnataka goes to polls to elect the next Government to power. In Kodagu, the election has captured the imagination of all sections of Society especially with candidates from most parties not being sure of their nominations until the very last minute. Politics has become the favourite topic of discussion at all social gatherings so much so that it has put bad prices for coffee and pepper to the background for the moment.  

Almost all parties seem to be fighting this election based on the charisma and capabilities of their National leaders. The common ground cutting across party lines seems to be about voting right for the greater good of the Country. However, as a voter, I must say that I am disappointed that not one of the candidates for the 2 seats in Kodagu has shown any inclination to fight the elections on local issues or even sat down with the electorate to understand and prepare a manifesto that reflects the needs and aspirations of their electorate. The electorate is again being hoodwinked into "voting responsibly" for the betterment of the Country but at the cost of their land and future. 

The issues that we face in Coorg are many; Large scale Deforestation, sand mafia, timber mafia, illegal land conversions, Linear development projects such as railways and highways under the garb of development, exploitative tourism etc are sounding the death knell of this district. Culturally too, the way of life of the Kodavas and other indigenous communities of Kodagu are being threatened by divisive appeasement politics. Added to this, the district is besieged with the total lack of proper medical facilities and public infrastructure, very bad internet connectivity etc. Yet, our Politicians are busy indulging in petty politics at the cost of the future of the district and its people. 

It saddens me to see that no politician worth his salt has spoken out on these issues or tried to address them on their own free will. Our Politicians have only spoken about these issues when they have been pushed against the wall or when they have been called to address a gathering, They have used people and these issues to create a platform for themselves without doing anything to address the actual issue or taking up the matter with their political masters. Unfortunately, Kodagu is faced with a problem of a dearth of good leaders. Petty politics and the greed for money and power have made our politicians blind to the actual reality.

For a long time, it was generally believed that the Kodavas or rather the people of Kodagu are just arm chair activists and just cannot come together. However, the last one year has seen a tremendous change in Kodagu. The protests against the proposed railway line and highways in Kodagu and the recent huge gathering in Mysore showed that people are not going to take things lying down. People from all sections of Society are starting to question the powers to be and I would like to believe that this is the first step towards ensuring that we protect our interests.

Whatever change that is taking place in Kodagu is happening despite the system. Voluntary Citizen initiatives is what is starting to create and drive the change. Be it cleaning campaigns, installations of dustbins and segregation or questioning illegal activities or even going to court or meeting bureaucrats and Government representatives to oppose projects that threaten the fragile ecological balance of the district, it is the assertiveness of a few like minded individuals that is driving that change.

It is true that we the people of Kodagu have been indifferent to what has been happening around us. As long as one was not directly affected, it did not matter to a lot of us. Even today, we seem to continue on the same lines. However, I must say that the times, they sure are changing. Today, we seem to be connecting back to our roots and thanks to social media, the acts of a few good men and women is inspiring others to get their hands dirty.  And this inspiration is what we need to sow the seeds of that big change that we are looking at. 

We need to accept the fact that with just 2 MLA seats, we do not matter to the fortunes of any political party in the State. But every single vote of ours matters to the 2 MLA's who will represent us. We are not in a position today to choose a leader that is worthy of representing us. But we definitely are in a position today to ensure that we will be taken seriously in the future.

Hence, no matter which party we support or what our ideology at the moment is, we need to ensure that we go out and VOTE. OUR TIME IS NOW!

If people don't vote, everything stays the same. You can protest until the sky turns yellow or the moon turns blue, and it's not going to change anything if you don't vote- Dolores Huerta (American labor leader and civil rights activist)

Let us look at the bigger Picture.

This year will probably go down in History as a landmark year for Coorg and its people. The people of the district are starting to discuss issues that we have been trying to brush under the carpet for the longest time. From arm chair activism, we are moving to a situation where we are starting to walk the talk.

I have personally been a part of 2 protests in the last 3 months, the first held at Madikeri in the first week of June and the second held at Kutta on the 26th of August 2017. The Kutta protests is especially significant as it helped bring the conversation on development vs environment out in the open.

The time has come for us to start a dialogue in understanding the development that Coorg as a district needs. Of course, all of us who are advocating against unplanned developmental activities have a responsibility of looking at the whole situation holistically and ensuring that legitimate land owners do not feel threatened. It is imperative that the fight against unplanned development activities also calls on the Government and the powers to be to protect interests of planters and original land owners of Coorg who have been cultivating land for the past few generations. There needs to be a sustained dialogue at the village level, where both sides talk to each other and understand the actual situation especially considering the fact that vested interests have fed people misinformation as information resulting in a hatred against people advocating for the regulation and stopping of unplanned development activities. I am not going into the merits of the ESZ or what the rules actually mean for that needs to be done at the ground level and not in an article. I am no legal or environmental expert to give my two bits.

However, that being said, I believe it is time for us to start putting things in perspective when it comes to the argument on development vs environment. It is important that we understand and take responsibility for the legacy that we are going to leave behind for our future generations. The Kutta protests saw some really strong views emerging with those supporting the protests being made to look like people who are anti- development and working against the interests of the future generations. The fight against unplanned development activities is not to deprive people of the land of a livelihood nor is it about benefiting people outside the district to have a good life at the costs of the inhabitants of the land as is made out to be. We need to understand that the greatest strength of this land of ours is in its natural heritage.

Development for a fragile landscape like Coorg needs to be defined by understanding the basic needs of the people of the land. In today's day and age, connectivity is important and nobody can say no to development. But this development needs to be defined by the people of the land for our own benefit. Of course, we need better roads connecting the nook and corner of the district. But surely, we do not need a 4 lane highway to achieve that. Nor do we need a train that will do more harm than good. Will these development solve the man animal conflict that seems to be increasing every day. Elephants today for example are going into places that we did not even imagine that they would venture into. And is it because we have somehow increased our green cover or is it because stupid policies have eroded our Forests of its natural greenery?

I only wish that the people who are calling for so called development talk about the things that actually matter. Like better internet facility where our Children and adults in very village in the district have access to information; better medical facilities in the Villages where every PHC has basic medicine and good doctors. None off these people have called out the Hospitals for not storing anti- venom considering the habitat that we live in. I find this hypocrisy appalling. If the development that these people are considering is to ape our unplanned cities like Bangalore, then we might as well live in Bangalore.

If we need development, then we need to talk about bettering our agricultural practices and access to modern machinery and markets. In the last couple of years we have slowly seen smaller boutique brands like Flying Squirrel, River side, Black Baza, Papakuchi and others emerging from Coorg. I would like to imagine a situation 10 years from now where we have many more such brands emerging from Coorg marketing home grown products. Do we not have the potential to have pepper or honey brands from Coorg? I only wish the vision grows to better our land without losing its greenery. Tourism that is more class than mass, where regulations ensure that the tourist operators make profits and the tourists come back to see the beauty of the place for what it is instead of what it used to be.

I find it amusing that the very people that are expected to uphold the interests of the Community seem to be indulging in a slander campaign with the sole intention of discrediting a certain group of people to satisfy their egos. If these organisations really cared, then they will stop being glorified event managers managing real estate space and actually start working for the betterment of the land and the community. How many trees have these organisations planted? Do these real estate spaces have a plan to mitigate garbage menace and ensure a clean green venue status? If they are for holistic development, then these organisations and real estate spaces should ban plastic in their premises for a start and start composting their waste. Isn't that modern development? If these organisations want to work for the greater good of the community, how many classes have they conducted in the leading Schools of Coorg in educating our Children on our culture and land. We only talk about how we are losing our culture and don't seem to be doing anything about it.

A lot of our so called leaders in Coorg have let their egos get the better of them. They have gotten so used to being put on a pedestal that they have somehow come to an impression that they know better than everybody else. And if they get irritated with somebody or some organisation, then all they have to do is run a slander campaign to discredit the other person. I believe that they would only do it if the other person has somehow managed to push a few buttons. I wish we get leaders who understand the pulse of their electorate and work for the the greater good of the electorate. Leaders who join and support the cause instead of being invited to join a cause. Leaders who understand the need to protect the land and its people.

The fight to save the Greenery of Coorg is not to convert the whole of Coorg into a forest. The fight is to protect what the land has been offering us without asking any questions of us. Have we ever considered as to how lucky we are to have got this on a platter? We of course love to go into nostalgia and talk about the good days of the past where nature provided us in abundance. From Baimbale to the Kummus to the koille meenu to madhu thoppu (maddu puttu), we took it for granted that we are always going to get it. What are we going to show our Children tomorrow? I cannot for the life of me imagine going to a supermarket to buy these things or showing our Children tomorrow all of this in pictures.

The responsibility is ours to protect and preserve what little we have left. As Kaveriamma's children, it is our basic duty to protect our devarakadus, streams and rivers that our ancestors left behind for us. And to make sure that the Children of tomorrow get to see and enjoy all of this and more.

Now I have a weapon to clean and some belting to be done. Happy Kailpod! And may our ancestors put some sense into all our heads.

This land, this water, this air, this planet - this is our legacy to our young- Paul Tsongas

The Power to make a Change!

We are three months into the year and from the story unfolding so far, looks like 2017 is going to be the year of the the people. A year where the electorate will stand up to ask for their rights and ensure that their elected representatives deliver on their aspirations. The Jallikattu movement and the fight against the steel flyover have shown that people power is real and active and that the powers to be cannot hoodwink the people anymore and think they can get away with it. Technology has ensured that everybody has access to information at the swipe of a finger. 

This being the case, it is sad to see an educated well informed community and District accepting everything that is thrown at us without even raising an eyebrow. Kodagu is besieged with a lot of problems, most of which is our own doing. However, our big fat chest thumping egos has only helped us brush things under the carpet without taking any of the things head on. I have been harping on the need for us to start a dialogue and raise awareness on ground. From marrying outside the community, to selling property, to the advantages and perils of tourism or the beauty of Coorg and the Culture, everybody in Coorg has an opinion on every single one of these issues. But when it comes to doing something about it, the very same people are always seen walking away rather than confronting the issue. 

This does not mean that there is no change happening on ground, People are starting to get together to address various evils plaguing our Society. From controlling garbage menace to advocating against unplanned developmental activities, small groups of people comprising people of all age groups and genders are starting to spring up across Kodagu in trying to address these issues. However, we seem to be really slacking in being able to get these various groups on to one single platform. 

For the longest time, I have heard my parents and elders talk about their childhood and the joys of running around in clean green Kodagu. Any family get together invariably turns to a flashback session with anecdotes on their childhood adventures. My own childhood was filled with all our cousins coming together and spending time in tanks or streams or just going for a walk into the estate or playing hide and seek in the forest next to our property. Sadly, I cannot for the life of me imagine my nieces or nephews or my kids tomorrow doing it for we have become self sustaining nuclear families busy with our lives. Also, you never know what you might run into. Even though we have always lived right next to the Forest, we did not even imagine running into an elephant during the day. Times have changed and we need to change with it and there is no doubt in that. But what about those things that we can control. 

Today, we have been handed a lifeline and an opportunity to correct the wrongs and start fresh. The ESA is much needed for Coorg and one which will help us get Kodagu back to its past glory, But our elected representatives and other politicians seem to be hell bent on creating panic by spreading false information. The ESA notification does not target the planters or the original inhabitants of Coorg as it is made out to be. Instead, it protects the interests of the planters and the original inhabitants of Coorg from further destruction. Nobody in Coorg has even understood the whole report but have been mislead into believing that it is bad for us,

Kodagu is facing its worst drought in decades. Our rivers, streams and ponds are running dry. Elephant menace is spreading with man animal conflict springing up in newer areas everyday, The ESA is the answer to addressing and tackling these problems. It coming into existence will not stop us from shade lopping or using chemical fertilizers or for that matter building a house inside the estate, Of course, it affects those who were indulging in exploiting our Natural resources for commercial purposes. And hence our politicians cutting across political lines have all come together to oppose this as it will put a stop to all their illegal activities, be it sand or stone quarrying, land conversion for resorts, layouts or cutting of trees for so called development activities.

The time has come for all of us to come together and get our hands dirty in helping us protect and preserve whatever little is left of Coorg, We might not agree or like those environmentalists who are fighting the cause at the moment. But how will they know that some of their views are wrong, if we do not make an effort to join the cause and express our views. I do not want to sit for a drink in a few years from now and sound exactly like my Dad's generation is sounding now. 

I would humbly request all the Kodava Samajas, the various groups advocating various reforms in Coorg to come together for this cause. Imagine, being proud Kodavas without a Kodagu that we can relate to. What is the use of a Samaja then if we cannot work towards protecting our land? Our culture, language is dying, the only thing that we can hold on to dear is our land and it is time we do something about it. Let us forget our egos, our disagreements and hatred for each other and come together for the greater good of our future. We might be losing our language, diluting our Culture with new age practices and all this needs to be addressed. But what good is it trying to solve any of these issues if we do not have a place called HOME. 

I just turned 33 and am planning to start a family soon. I want my kids tomorrow to see a Kodagu that I saw and enjoyed and I believe that it is my responsibility to make sure it happens. I don't want to look back at today 30 years from now and regret the fact that we had a chance to change the status quo and did not do anything about it. We have a duty to our forefathers and our future generations to preserve and protect our land. 

Spread the word and galvanise support, Our time is now!

Namma Cauvery? The Hypocrisy!

It is that time of the year again when History repeats itself and our Dear Mother, River Cauvery is the cynosure of all eyes. Unfortunately, this History seems to be repeating itself so often that there seems to be no end remedy in sight. The past week has seen protests erupt across Karnataka against the Supreme Court decision on the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.

I am not going into the merits of the case for that is for our Legal teams to argue and Courts to decide. I find this whole exercise of protests and Bandhs a hogwash for I firmly believe that nobody actually wants to find a solution to the problem. If we have rains, then nobody talks about the excess water at our disposal for we really have no solution to using excess water, do we? It is only when the rain Gods fail that we actually realise the gravity of the situation. From accusing the State Government to not appointing the right legal luminaries and not being assertive to accusing Tamil Nadu of being greedy and demanding excess water, we have all the right excuses to make our case but the sad part is that the crux of the whole issue get washed underneath it all.

River Cauvery, or Kaveri Mathe or Kaveriamma as people would like to call it is definitely a true provider to the people of a large part of South India; while it is the source of water for farmers to till their lands or for others to quench their thirst, it also the biggest provider to people from all walks of life to grab the limelight. From Politicians trying to wrestle power from one another to so called patriotic organisations pushed into the oblivion, the River gives all of them a chance to grab their pound of flesh in their quest for power.

A lot of the individuals and organisations that have called for the Bandh against the release of water are hypocrites. For far too long, these people have used Kannada Pride and Cauvery to further their personal ambitions. Almost everybody from the Political, social and Entertainment fields have joined the chorus against the release of water. The bottom line is that Cauvery is an issue that has maximum benefits for everybody provided you join the bandwagon. Everybody is going to get air time and regional news channels, always desperate for content are going to use the issue and these people to garner maximum TRPS.

My problem with these hypocrites is this, you cannot save the river by picking and choosing issues. The popular slogan this time around seems to be "Kaveri Nammadhu". Its ironic that they say it with so much pride when all they have done is abuse what they call theirs. Wearing and flying the red and yellow and burning effigies of people is not going to get more water; nor is attacking people of Tamil Nadu by accusing them of being greedy going to get water. It is good to see so many people bringing regular life to a stand still to put their point across. But the sad part is that almost all of them have been hoodwinked by our Politicians, Bureaucrats, Businessmen and other vested interests for far too long. All of them are talking about not having enough water for irrigation and drinking water purposes but do not care as to where the actual source of the water is. The truth is that nobody really cares to find out the reasons behind deficient rainfall and water flow and our dear media will not enlighten people with the truth for that will not benefit anybody. I will not be surprised if a lot of them think that KRS is the source of the River.

The primary catchment area of the Cauvery, Coorg has been abused by all these vested interests including local representatives. Kodagu seems to be one of the favourite destination for people from all walks of life. From being a favourite destination of the Film Industry with its scenic spots to holiday makers looking for a getaway for the weekend, Coorg provides for everybody just like River Cauvery does. It provides for the timber mafia who are hand in glove with the politicians to fell as many trees as they want as it does for the Sand mafia to transport all the sand they need. People looking for a place to buy, just need to contact somebody from the land mafia and you will have a place in either a converted wet land or a villa property for the right price. This is the reason why all these pro- Cauvery activists who are making a hue and cry over the issue at the moment are hypocrites.

Where were these activists when locals in Kodagu were protesting against the high tension power line project? The same State Government crying foul over the Supreme Court decision today slapped sedition charges against the locals protesting against the power line project. The media covered it at a glance and the politicians made these local activists look like jokers who are against development. It is very easy to dismiss these activists as those with their own vested interest and against development. Yes, they have their vested interest which is a love for the land. Sadly, a lot of such activism for a larger good cause gets lost in this garb of development.

Of course, Coorg needs development and tourism. We need better roads, better infrastructure, Hospitals, Schools, Colleges and grounds. But this development needs to be a sustainable one. Unfortunately, the powers to be equate development to be that of building railway lines, 4 lane roads, high end layouts or resorts. Instead, what we actually need is development that will benefit the locals without damaging the environment. Why can't the development be about improving the infrastructure? The district had nearly 7 Olympians in the contingent to Rio this year. So, the development can be about improving sports infrastructure in every part of the District or getting mobile and internet connectivity to every nook and corner or roads with markings and reflectors to name a few. These jokers that we would like to call our representatives have no such vision and we people have our heads so far in our backsides that we will not do anything about it except write about it in a blog like what I am doing at the moment.

If the Government of Karnataka along with the other Politicians cared so much for Cauvery, then why doesn't the State Government declare Kaveri Sankramana as a State Holiday for starters. If you do not celebrate "Namma Kaveri Mathe", then what is the use of calling her "NAMMADHU". Our Politicians instead want to be the ones in the front row at Talacauvery on Sankramana or they will make their presence felt on Sankramana by distributing Food to devotees and then making a case for them to build a centre and a guest house in Talacauvery which will definitely not help in improving water capacity of the river. I sometimes wonder if the larger idea is to take control over Cauvery by sidelining the people of Kodagu.

These unplanned activities are the reason for the Cauvery to be in the news for all the wrong reasons and as people of the land that is Kaveriamma's, it is time for us to pull up our socks. None of these red and yellow flag lovers will ever come to help save the catchment area, Kodagu. We need to assert ourselves and make sure that we preserve, protect and nurture the river and our land for our future survival if not for anything else. As I write this article, I am hoping that people in Coorg have better sense than support a bandh that serves no purpose.

There are a lot of things that we need to do but that is for another day. For starters, do not let any politician or organisation to attend Sankramana at Talacauvery. Please support all local organisations working towards protecting the catchment area. If you do not agree with them, then tell them where they are wrong. The time has come for us to act.

I am also hoping that this article provokes people to either agree with me or infuriate people to atleast show me the middle finger.

Wake up and Smell the Coffee!

It has been nearly a year now since my last article. I had ended it with the words of Jane Goodall, "Change happens by listening and then starting a dialogue with the people who are doing something you don't believe is right". And right now. I don't think anything is right when it comes to my hometown, Kodagu. 

Two issues have grabbed the attention of the people of Coorg in the last couple of months. And both these issues actually affect the very identity of Kodagu as we know it. One is the proposed railway line which affects the environment and the other is the Court order against certain traditional practices. And both these issues have got dramatically different reactions. While the former has garnered a lot of attention online with people of all ages using different means to raise awareness, the latter has sadly been brushed under the carpet almost as a sort of acceptance. 

We fortunately have learnt a lesson after the failure of the campaign against the Power Line project. This coupled with the awareness on the need to protect the environment has ensured that people from all walks of life are now supporting the various groups involved in the fight against the railway line. It is heartening to see the communication centered around Mother Cauvery and I believe that this has helped garner widespread support from all over the World. However, all the online campaigning will not help much if we do not see some action on ground, And by action, I do not mean violence. I mean galvanizing enough forces on ground to cripple normal life. For until and unless we get people to come and support these causes on ground, we will not be able  to make much of an impact. The Railway Minister has reacted to the campaign and has tweeted that he will look into it. But what is he going to look at when our elected representatives have not even given a single statement either supporting or opposing the project. Why do we even call these people our representatives if they are not going to understand and stand by the pulse of their electorate? 

I am no saint nor do I think I have the answers to all the problems plaguing us. But I believe that if we do not start speaking about it, we will only fall deeper into the pit that we have dug ourselves into. I blame us, the people for we have brought this upon ourselves. We are a society that thrives on arm chair activism. Almost anybody and everybody in or from Coorg has an opinion on anything and everything. We criticise every single thing around us but when it comes to taking a stand publicly or going for a protest, we somehow have no time for any of it. So while we comfortably share and write about issues on social media platforms, the time has come for us to hold a mirror and look long and hard at ourselves and see the truth for once in our lives. 

The campaign against the Railway Line started to make waves after the "Toast to Cauvery" initiative where one holds a glass of water and raise a toast to Cauvery. It is a brilliant campaign and helped strike a chord with friends from outside Coorg especially in cities or places that depend on the river. However, while it is nice to think innovative for a campaign, it is time to ask ourselves if we really hold the river in the same esteem that our forefathers did before us. How many of us Kodavas have gone to Talacavery in the recent past? How many of us celebrate Kaveri Sankramana in the true spirit of the Festival? I for one went to Cauvery after nearly three years because I had to go and barely make it home to Coorg for Kaveri Sankramana. We have become tourists to our own practices and places of identity. And that is the hypocrisy. We say it is ours but don't show it. 

I love the fact that our Culture is very different from a large part of the Country, but while we have opened up and become liberal; we somehow seem to be identifying ourselves to be that of pork eating guzzlers with a short fuse. Of course, it is all about individual choices. I truly respect the fact that each individual has the liberty and freedom to make choices that they think is right. For that matter, I do not like the Kodava Samaj or any other body to tell me what makes me a Kodava. But a time has come for us to feel the need to preserve what is left of us being an indigenous community. 

These practices are what makes us who we are. The past three odd months has seen authorities clamp down on centuries old practices to implement a Court order. A Court order that most of us did not know about until it was implemented. The said Court order banned animal sacrifice in places of worship in Coorg. Every temple Festival this year saw a huge contingent of Police around the premises making sure that no animal sacrifice took place. So much so that people wee intimidated and hurt that they were not allowed to practice what they truly believed in. I have an issue with this attitude of the Courts and the system in general where individual rights and practices have no voice. The whole media is going to town about Freedom of Speech and so on but what about my rights. There are some people who will argue that animal sacrifice is cruel and we need to have more humanity and stop this but that change if at all needs to come from inside the Community and not by the high hand of the law. 

So will they then go on and tell us that we cannot offer Karana to our ancestors? Today, it is about animal sacrifice, tomorrow it will be about our rights to own guns and day after our right to our land and it will only continue to get worse. Our language and a lot of our traditional practices are already dying a slow death. As a society, we have always been open to adapting and moving with the times but of late, we seem to be adapting better to those things that dilute our practices. As an indigenous population, we need to preserve whatever little is left of our place and our Culture.  

Of course, everybody has a right to go to Court but It baffles me that we somehow seem to miss all that concerns us, especially in the legal or political fields. The need of the hour is a body, a think thank of the young and the old that brings the various organisations in Coorg under one platform. A body that is not just a committee of power and prestige but a body of individuals from all walks of life that helps the various groups get maximum traction for each of its causes. Judicial overreach and unnecessary judicial activism needs to be curtailed. Every single one of us needs to get our hands dirty or at least support those who are willing to get their hands dirty. We need an organisation that will work with the Officials and against the Officials, from solving individual problems to regulating tourism and land laws. It is time for us to be assertive and take control over our lives before we get run over and don't even realise what hit us.. 

So its time to wake up and smell the Coffee!!........