Seminar on Codava Rights and Autonomy to be Held in Madikeri on June 18

From left: Hima Lawrence, Sri Vikram Hegde, and N.U. Nachappa. Photo courtesy: CNC press handout

MADIKERI: The Codava National Council (CNC) will host a key seminar on June 18 at Capitol Village, on the outskirts of Madikeri, to spotlight its long-standing constitutional and cultural demands for Codavaland. The event, scheduled for 10:30 a.m., will feature a lecture by Supreme Court advocate and constitutional law expert Vikram Hegde.

For over three decades, CNC has been spearheading an apolitical movement seeking geo-political autonomy for Codavas through the establishment of a Codava Autonomous Region (CAR) under the 6th Schedule of the Constitution—akin to provisions granted to certain North-Eastern states and hill councils, according to a release by CNC.

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Key demands to be discussed include Scheduled Tribe status for the animistic mono-ethnic Codava community, protection of customary laws, preservation of Codava Thakk language through its inclusion in the 8th Schedule, political reservation, protection of gun rights as a religious sacrament, and restitution of ancestral land rights.

“This seminar is a continuation of our peaceful and determined advocacy for recognition, autonomy, and constitutional guarantees for Codavas,” said N.U. Nachappa Codava, Chairman of CNC. “Our movement is about protecting our cultural, historical, and territorial integrity within the framework of the Indian Constitution.”

Nachappa added that the CNC has also moved a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking legal adjudication on Codavaland’s demands. “We are not asking for separation but for rightful recognition and constitutional space,” he said.

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Contact to know more: Trishul Kosmic Energy: 9845118777

Vikram Hegde, known for his work in regional autonomy and his legal representation of CNC in the Codava Gun Exemption Case, is expected to offer expert insight on the legal routes available for indigenous rights. He will be accompanied by his wife, Hima Lawrence, also a Supreme Court lawyer.

The release further stated that the seminar is open to all concerned citizens, community members, scholars, policymakers, and the media.

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