Kodavas scale down demand; want autonomous council in Karnataka

New Delhi, Oct 22 (UNI) The Kodava National Council, which had been demanding separate statehood for the Kodavas in Karnataka, has now scaled down its demand.

The warrior tribe now wants a Kodava autonomous region on the lines of Gorkha Hill Council in West Bengal in the next Parliamentary Session under article 244, 332 and 6th schedule of the Constitution.

''Kodavas are primitive ethnic linguistic minority tribals and they should be provided with reservation facilities in education and employment under article 340 and 342 of the Constitution,'' Council secretary general N U Nachappa said.

There should be special statutory guarantee for Kodavas 'Jamma' land to protect the natural growth of their population, he said.

Centre and Karnataka governments should accord ethnic-linguistic minority status to Kodava race, who had their own statehood till its merger into Karnataka in 1956, Mr Nachappa said.

''The language should be included in 8th schedule and treated on par with Konkani,'' he demanded.

Many Kodava families dressed in their traditional Kodava attires, will hold protest demonstration in Delhi on November one in support of their demand and submit a detailed memorandum to President Pratibha Devisingh Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

UNI