Fresh Push for Kodava Language Inclusion in Eighth Schedule
- Kodagu Express Bureau
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Virajpet: The Karnataka government has initiated steps to seek a comprehensive and legally sound report on the inclusion of the Kodava language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India, with Legal Adviser to the Chief Minister and Virajpet MLA A.S. Ponnanna stressed the need for a structured and disciplined approach to the process.
Addressing an important meeting at the Kodava Samaja auditorium in Virajpet on Monday(5 January 2026), Ponnanna said the government had sought a detailed report and advised that expert committees and sub-committees be formed to prepare it strictly in accordance with constitutional and legal norms. The meeting was convened to deliberate on long-pending demands for granting the Kodava language recognition under the Eighth Schedule.
Ponnanna noted that the movement for inclusion of Kodava has been ongoing for several decades and that reports had already been submitted on two previous occasions. “Since this issue has a long history, it is essential that we proceed in a disciplined and systematic manner, adhering to prescribed rules and procedures. All stakeholders must work together so that the report is comprehensive and legally robust,” he said.
He emphasised that institutions and individuals including the Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy, Kodava Samajas, linguists, litterateurs, writers and representatives of the Kodava-speaking community should collectively contribute to the exercise. According to him, the preparation of the report should be seen as a shared responsibility rather than the task of a single institution.
“This is only the beginning. Much more detailed information needs to be gathered. Committees and sub-committees should be formed to study different aspects of the language, its literature, history and cultural significance. Along with the Academy, every Kodava speaker has an important role to play,” Mr. Ponnanna said.
He added that the Chief Minister had shown special concern for the preservation and promotion of the Kodava language and assured that the State government would extend all possible cooperation. Mr. Ponnanna also said that a delegation would be taken to meet the Chief Minister once the groundwork for the report had progressed.
Highlighting the broader significance of the issue, he said preservation of language, literature and culture was central to the survival of a community. “If the Kodava language, its literature and cultural practices are protected, the community itself will thrive. The contribution of Kodava speakers to Karnataka and to the nation is immense and deserves to be remembered and recognised,” he said.
Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy president Ajjinikanda Mahesh Nachaiah said the government had formally sought a report on the inclusion of the Kodava language in the Eighth Schedule and that preparatory processes were already under way. He said a comprehensive report would be prepared covering the historical, mythological, social, cultural and folkloric background of the Kodava community.
“The report will be prepared with the cooperation of all concerned. It will document not just the language, but also the cultural ecosystem in which it has evolved,” he said. Nachaiah pointed out that inclusion in the Eighth Schedule would bring several tangible benefits, including official recognition and special status for the language.
He explained that such recognition would open avenues for Kodava language education at school, college and university levels, enable its use in Central and State civil services, facilitate government funding for language development, and support the organisation of State- and national-level literary and cultural conferences.
Referring to the literary heritage of the community, he cited the contributions of noted figures such as Haradasa Appaneravanda Appachakavi, Ichettira Muttanna, Bachamanda D. Ganapathi, Mandeera Jaya Appanna, Boveriyanda Nanjamma Chinnappa and Bacharaniyanda P. Appanna, who enriched Kodava literature through folklore, poetry, short stories, novels and drama.
He also spoke about distinctive Kodava traditions, including traditional attire, folk arts and cultural practices, and noted that there are 21 Kodava-speaking communities, each with its own customs. The proposed report, he said, would also include studies on the contributions of Kodava speakers in fields such as the armed forces, politics, medicine and sports, as well as cultural traditions like the Kodava Hockey Festival.
Representing the Kodava National Council, its president N.U. Nachappa said the Kodava language has a history spanning several centuries and that the struggle for its inclusion in the Eighth Schedule has continued for decades. “This effort must go on relentlessly until recognition is achieved,” he said.
Former Karnataka Media Academy president Maneyapanda A. Ponnappa underlined the importance of preparing the report meticulously and suggested that it be compiled in Kodava, Kannada, English and Hindi to ensure wider understanding and acceptance at different levels.
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