The Hindu : Karnataka News : `Separate Kodagu State an isolated demand'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 20, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka

`Separate Kodagu State an isolated demand'

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: The Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, on Thursday said that the demand for a separate Kodagu State does not have the support of the people and the Government will not take cognisance of such demands.

Mr. Singh was releasing a book "Conflicting identities in Karnataka — Separate and Anti-Separate State movements in Coorg," authored by Vijay Poonacha Thabanda. Prasaranga of Kannada University at Hampi has published the book.

No Government can afford to ignore or undermine the demands for a separate State supported by justifiable public causes. From the larger point of view, the demand for a separate Kodagu State is only an isolated demand of some individuals, Mr. Singh said.

Referring to the people's movement in the then composite Madras State for a separate Andhra State, which culminated in the martyrdom of Potti Sriramulu following a 49-day fast-unto-death and the creation linguistic States, Mr. Dharam Singh said that no government could stifle a demand reflecting the aspirations and socio-economic problems of a people. The late Chief Minister D. Devraj Urs was responsible for the unification of the Karnataka State with a vision. "Is it possible to constitute a separate Uttara Karnataka State as demanded by some people ignoring the history of the State?" he asked.

Referring to the killing of Sheshappa Gowda by naxalites at Menasinahadya village in Chickmagalur district on Wednesday, he said the Government has been forced to deploy the Special Task Force against the naxalites.

The former Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council A.K. Subbaiah, said Prof. Viju Poonacha Thabanda has made a bold attempt to explore the hidden facts and distorted aspects of the history of Kodagu from an admirable perspective.

Prof. Poonacha said Kodagu is not devoid of social inequalities but identifying the people who are eligible for reservation is a question to be deliberated.

The Managing Director of Cauvery Communication and former editor of Deccan Herald, K.N. Harikumar, spoke on "Linguistic identity of Karnataka."

The Vice-Chancellor of Kannada University, B.A. Vivek Rai, presided over the function.

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