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Coorg-Kodagu News This page was started by journalist P.T. Bopanna on May 3, 2013, to highlight news from Coorg-Kodagu.

STORY OF TEMPLE BELLS AND ST. ANNE’S CHURCH IN COORG There are many trekking trails in Coorg. Among them one of the most...
16/08/2024

STORY OF TEMPLE BELLS AND ST. ANNE’S CHURCH IN COORG

There are many trekking trails in Coorg. Among them one of the most scenic trails leads to the Malethirke temple located at Karada-Palangala village, 15 km from Virajpet, bordering the states of Kerala and Karnataka.

Mandepanda Savitha Poovaiah, well-known woman wildlife photographer, shares her experience of trekking to the hill top and finding hundreds of hanging bells left behind by worshippers.

It is being said that during the construction of St Annes Church at Virajpet, the architect was advised to offer a bell to the temple on account of the continuous collapsing of the upper tapering part of the church. Once the bell was offered to the temple, the church construction went off smoothly, it is believed. Even now devotees during their difficult times take vows and offer bells to the temple which are hanging around in hundreds. For more, follow the link below:

https://www.coorgtourisminfo.com/blog/trekking-the-call-of-malethirke-bells-in-coorg/

INDEPENDENCE & AFTER: RAM RAJYA IN KODAGU (COORG) WAS TURNED INTO RAVANA RAJYA BY BOTH CONGRESS AND BJP By P.T. Bopanna ...
15/08/2024

INDEPENDENCE & AFTER: RAM RAJYA IN KODAGU (COORG) WAS TURNED INTO RAVANA RAJYA BY BOTH CONGRESS AND BJP

By P.T. Bopanna

In 1949, deputy prime minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, stated that the only place in India where there was Ram Rajya was in Coorg. In the years following the Independence, Coorg or Kodagu in Karnataka as it is known now, has been turned into a Ravana Rajya, by politicians belonging to both the Congress and the BJP, and their henchmen.

It may sound unpatriotic, but it is fact that Kodagu was better off under the British. As a result of the long British rule since 1834, Kodagu had a stable government and well-oiled administrative machinery.

During a debate in the Indian Parliament in March, 1949, deputy prime minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, had even gone to the extent of saying that there was “Ram Rajya” in Coorg. Mr Patel stated: “Now, the only place in India where you may say there is Ram Rajya is Coorg; where there is no compliant, nothing; there is no theft; there is no robbery.”

The good times continued for a few years after Independence. After India attained Independence, Coorg became a Part ‘C’ State. The Part ‘C’ States Act, 1951, provided for a new Coorg Legislative Assembly with 24 members. The Coorg government started functioning from March, 1952.

On what followed the merger of the Coorg State with Karnataka in 1956 has been well summed up by journalist C.M. Ramachandra, head of Bengauluru edition of The Hindu newspaper, in his foreword to the book ‘Rise and Fall of the Coorg State’.

Ramachandra wrote: “All that has happened and is happening to Kodagu is nothing short of a brazen vandalism, abetted by dehumanized administrations which glibly lay claims to inclusive culture, but do quite the opposite. This is what makes me sad beyond words. This is what betrayal means in its eloquent form.”

November 1, 1956, will go down as a Black Day in the history of Coorg, now officially known as Kodagu, the tiny hill district in the state of Karnataka. The Coorg State was snuffed out of the Indian map on that day due to political machinations.

The once bountiful Coorg State has been reduced to the status of a colony by the rulers of Karnataka since its merger. With Kodagu, represented by just two MLAs, successive governments in Karnataka have neglected the development of the district.

The fact that the elected representatives from Kodagu have sold their souls to the timber lobby has not helped matters. It is no secret that these elected representatives have patronized the sand mafia and other illegal activities in Kodagu, including liquor vends.

The timber merchants, mostly hailing from the neighbouring Kerala State, did not spare even the Devara Kadus (sacred forests), the forest buffer maintained by Coorg clans for centuries.

Two Congress ministers from Kodagu have been instrumental in large-scale looting of timber from the core area of the Western Ghats. These ministers have been known to be close to the Delhi durbar of the party.

Though Kodagu is the main catchment area of the river Cauvery, the life-line of people living in southern India, the rulers sitting in Vidhana Soudha, the secretariat of the Karnataka government in Bangalore, have actively backed the timber lobby in denuding the forest wealth in the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats.

Prior to its merger with Karnataka, corruption was unheard of in Kodagu. Now, it has taken deep roots. The local people of Kodagu, known for their honesty and straightforwardness, have been forced to indulge in corrupt practices to get their work done in government offices.

The land mafia from Bangalore has bought huge tracts of land in Kodagu to indulge in speculative land deals. The entry of underworld figures into Kodagu has affected the tranquility of the district.

While elected representatives from Kodagu have looted the forest wealth, chief minister Siddaramaiah of the Congress party, has turned Kodagu into a communal laboratory by observing the birth centenary of the tyrant Tipu Sultan.

While the Congress has divided the people in Kodagu on communal lines, the BJP has converted the peace-loving Kodavas as the foot-soldiers of the Hindutva brigade. The Kodavas are being used as a cannon fodder by the Hindutva brigade to achieve their hidden agenda. The late Dr M.M. Chengappa, who was instrumental in building the BJP in Kodagu, did not get his due in the party.

The neglect of Kodagu district by successive state governments after its merger with Karnataka in 1956, has led to the demand for separate statehood or autonomy for the hill district.

After having witnessed the phenomenal development of the area when Coorg was a Part ‘C’ State during 1952-56, there has been a growing perception among the original inhabitants that Kodagu would continue to remain a backward area as long as the district remained part of Karnataka.

Dr Sandeep Shastri, a social activist, is of the view: “Given the contemporary reality and the nature of politics and political processes in India, what best can the Kodagu region and its people hope for? It may be a bit far-fetched to demand the status of a separate state at this point of time. There are larger regions with stronger claims for a separate state that the Indian Union finds difficult to concede. It is clearly apparent that the Central government will not re-open the states reorganisation question but will take up individual demands from time to time.

In this context and keeping in mind the best interests of the Kodagu region and its people, it may be more worthwhile for a limited autonomy being sought. The creation of an Autonomous Kodagu Council within the State of Karnataka may be a more viable option.

The above content is sourced from the book ‘Rise and Fall of the Coorg State’ by P.T. Bopanna, Rolling Stone Publications, 2009. Paperback copies of the book is available on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.in/RISE-FALL-COORG-STATE-Bopanna/dp/8190976508

14/08/2024

MEND YOUR WAYS PRATAP SIMHA

Today I unfollowed the page of former Kodagu Lok Sabha member Pratap Simha. Of late, Simha has been associating himself with criminal and anti-social elements. Not that I had any appreciation for his political activities as an MP. After he was denied Lok Sabha seat by his so-called mentor Modi, Simha has become desperate. I do not tolerate people who have a destructive mindset. Politicians should take their ups and downs in their stride. Social media should be used to win friends and not make enemies. There is still future for him. He should learn from his mistakes. I have deliberately not used his photo. Some politicians like film stars, believe any publicity, including bad publicity was good for them. PTB.

GOOD RIDDENCE: LUCKY SIMHA IS NO MORE THE MP REPENTING KODAGU
13/08/2024

GOOD RIDDENCE: LUCKY SIMHA IS NO MORE THE MP REPENTING KODAGU

FENCE EATING THE CROP UNDER MODI GOVT
11/08/2024

FENCE EATING THE CROP UNDER MODI GOVT

NEERAJ CHOPRA SHOWCASES ACTING SKILLS IN AD CAMPAIGN CONCEPTUALISED BY DEVAIAH BOPANNA AND TEAM While Neeraj Chopra is f...
11/08/2024

NEERAJ CHOPRA SHOWCASES ACTING SKILLS IN AD CAMPAIGN CONCEPTUALISED BY DEVAIAH BOPANNA AND TEAM

While Neeraj Chopra is flavour of the season with his gold winning Javelin throw at the World Athletics Championships, Neeraj has also proved himself an excellent actor in this IPL ad campaign conceptualised by Devaiah Bopanna and team for Cred in 2021. Sharing the Cred ad video link:

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/XLq3XDttzJr3BorL/?mibextid=xfxF2i

-----(20 metres)-----(40 metres)-----(60 metres)-----(80 metres)-----(87.58 metres)-----(surviving another "360 degree marketing" session with a Brand Manage...

INDIA IS A FREE COUNTRY. VP SHOULD STAY AWAY FROM SUCH CONTROVERSY. HE HOLDS A CONSTITUTIOLAL POST. SHOULD NOT SPEAK LIK...
10/08/2024

INDIA IS A FREE COUNTRY. VP SHOULD STAY AWAY FROM SUCH CONTROVERSY. HE HOLDS A CONSTITUTIOLAL POST. SHOULD NOT SPEAK LIKE A BJP SPOKESMAN

"Keep Watch": Veep On Congress Leader's "Bangladesh Can Happen Here" Remark

Guard against the narrative advanced by some that what happened in Bangladesh can happen in India, advised Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, taking a swipe at Congress leaders.

POSSIBILITY OF ARMY COUP IN INDIA WAS SPECULATED WHEN GENERAL THIMAYYA WAS ARMY CHIEF By P.T. Bopanna The statement of C...
08/08/2024

POSSIBILITY OF ARMY COUP IN INDIA WAS SPECULATED WHEN GENERAL THIMAYYA WAS ARMY CHIEF

By P.T. Bopanna

The statement of Congress leader Salman Khurshid that there was a possibility of a coup in India has triggered a storm. Former Union minister Khurshid was quoted as saying: “What’s happening in Bangladesh can happen here… The spread of our country prevents things from blowing up in the manner in which they have blown up in Bangladesh.”

When I was researching for my book Dateline Coorg on the career of two generals from Kodagu (Coorg) in Karnataka, Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa, and General K.S. Thimayya, I felt the only time the threat of a coup was in the air was when Gen. Thimayya was the army chief in 1958.

It will not be wrong to say the so-called coup threat was more in the imagination of India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
Nehru’s apprehension of a military take-over in India became acute following a military coup in neighbouring Pakistan after General Ayub Khan overthrew the civilian government in 1958.
General Thimayya, who was appointed the Army chief in 1957, was very popular with the ranks, and was loved by the public. This was apparently not to the liking of Nehru and his Defence Minister Krishna Menon.

General Thimayya had a brilliant military career. The British, as a matter of policy had always avoided giving higher command to Indian officers. General Thimayya was the only Indian officer to be made a brigadier and given command of an operational brigade during the Second World War.

During the 1947-48 Kashmir war with Pakistan, Major-General Thimayya gave an excellent account of himself. He was perhaps the most popular general, loved by men of all ranks in the Army.
It was unfortunate that the cantankerous Krishna Menon was the Defence Minister when General Thimayya took over as the Chief of Army Staff.

Writer Khushwant Singh has narrated humorous anecdotes about Krishna Menon’s penchant for one-upmanship. To embarrass General Thimayya, Menon would often go and sit in the front seat of the car next to the driver on ceremonial occasions. General Thimayya would be made to sit in the back seat of the car.
According to Khushwant Singh, General Thimayya would ask the driver to sit behind and take the wheel of the car himself to overcome the one-upmanship of Menon.

The misunderstanding between the Defence Minister and the General came to the fore when General Thimayya sent in his resignation letter to Nehru in August, 1959, following his differences with the Defence Minister over promotions in the Army and the Indian government’s policy of appeasing China.
There was a major difference between the Army Chief and the Defence Minister over the promotion involving Lieutenant-General B.M. Kaul, a favourite of both Nehru and Menon. The Defence Minister and the General were also poles apart on the issue of threat from China.

The other two service chiefs, Vice-Admiral Ramdas Katari and Air Marshal Subroto Mukherjee, were also unhappy with the political interference, and it was decided by them that Thimayya should meet Nehru and apprise him of their disappointment with the situation.

Accordingly, Thimayya met Nehru in August, 1959, at a garden party first and then at the Prime Minister's house at Teen Murti Bhavan. Nobody knows what transpired at the meeting, but it was believed that the Prime Minister promised to take up the matter with the Defence Minister.

Three days later, Menon met General Thimayya and strongly criticised him for taking the matter to the Prime Minister. The Defence Minister felt that the issues should have been "resolved privately and bilaterally". After this meeting the General sent in his resignation.

General Thimayya's resignation letter reached Teen Murti Bhavan in the afternoon of August 31. The Prime Minister read the letter in the evening, asked the General to meet him at 7 p.m., where he persuaded him to withdraw the resignation.

The next morning Pakistan's President Ayub Khan made a stopover at Delhi to speak to Nehru at the airport. Hours prior to the arrival of the Pakistani President, the news of General Thimayya's resignation was published in banner headlines. The newspapers were apparently unaware that the resignation had been withdrawn. The news reports also hinted that the other two chiefs "would follow suit".

A report from London quoted Air Marshal Mukherjee, then visiting Britain, saying that he "knew nothing" about these events.
The next day saw stormy scenes in the Parliament. A spate of adjournment motions were moved in both the Houses. Sentiments were against the Minister and in favour of the General because he was an officer of great reputation and his performance as Chairman of the Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission in Korea had enhanced his prestige both at home and abroad. There was great support for General Thimayya even from the ruling Congress party benches.

Nehru informed the House that the issues involved were "rather trivial and of no consequence". They arose "from temperamental differences and did not involve promotions". However, Nehru declined to place the General’s letter of resignation on the table of Parliament. The letter has not been made public since.

The thrust of Nehru's speech was the "supremacy of the civilian authority.” The tenor of the Prime Minister's speech was in favour of Menon and critical of the General. Nehru went on to say that he "could not congratulate the General on the manner in which he has acted."

In the Thimayya-Menon face-off, the General received tremendous support from Parliamentarians, the press and the public. The demand for Menon’s dismissal grew and the Defence Minister was finally forced to quit after India faced a humiliating defeat in the 1962 India-China war.

The late Lieutenant General Harbaksh Singh, who had served as the staff officer for General Thimayya, had once narrated his experiences working for the General: "I had an exceptional opportunity to study General Thimayya not only as a soldier on the battlefield in Jammu & Kashmir, but also during peace time as his Principal Staff Officer, when he was Army Commander, Western Command. I was able to see him both as a military leader as well as a man.

In his official dealings, he would not let his personal interests or prejudices weigh with him. Yet whether in office or outside, he was always relaxed, jovial, friendly and freely exuding goodwill and bonhomie. People were generally fond of him as a man. He was fond of the nicer things of life and was often seen enjoying himself in five-star hotels and restaurants in the metropolis of Delhi.
He once told me, when he was Chief Of Army Staff in Delhi, that one morning Prime Minister Nehru sent for him in his office, and obviously tutored by Intelligence Staff, suggested that he should not be seen at public places late at nights as it created a bad impression. To this he humorously replied, 'Panditji, isn't that better than planning a coup in the middle of the night?' Panditji, I believe, laughed it off - such was his confidence in the General's integrity."

Source: Dateline Coorg by journalist P.T. Bopanna. Paperback copy of the book available on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.in/Dateline-Coorg-P-T-Bopanna/dp/938574108X

TH Impact: Forest Minister orders inquiry into alleged illegal tree cutting in Kodagu following report in The Hindu
07/08/2024

TH Impact: Forest Minister orders inquiry into alleged illegal tree cutting in Kodagu following report in The Hindu

The Cauvery Sene, a Kodagu-based environmental group, has vehemently opposed the alleged decision of the Forest Department to permit cutting of trees.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/forest-department-approves-cutting-of-1118-trees-in-kodagu-plantation-e...
07/08/2024

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/forest-department-approves-cutting-of-1118-trees-in-kodagu-plantation-environmentalists-cry-foul/article68492965.ece?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1fOSsKhwXbP_2ZmHSk99IZG7OugYuInPl_PkpX7c6BfLQzzchxPxYZm4Y_aem_l1Z5cTA02PcKNZjGb9GOaA

The Forest Department has allegedly granted permission to cut down 1,118 trees in a coffee plantation in Kodagu district, renowned for its lush greenery and biodiversity, but grappling with significant environmental challenges.. This decision has raised concerns among environmental activists, who co...

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