Madikeri: Secretary general of the Codava National Council (CNC), which spearheading the movement to seek autonomous homeland status to the Kodava people, on Monday said the Government had shown inclination to meet the demands and aspirations espoused by the CNC but within the ambit of the Constitution.

Speaking to presspersons here, Mr. Nachappa said the Chief Minister gave a patient hearing to the 12-member CNC delegation in Bangalore on August 18. The CNC had staged a satyagraha in Bangalore to commemorate the World Indigenous Day and later met Mr. Kumaraswamy, Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and Minister for Science and Technology and Kodagu in-charge Ramachandra Gowda. This was the first time that the CNC was meeting the Chief Minister officially in the last 13 years. Mr. Nachappa told Mr. Kumaraswamy that there would be no meaning in celebrating Suvarna Karnataka year without providing constitutional guarantee to preserve, protect and promote the cultural heritage, tradition and language of the Kodavas and accord religious primitive tribal status to them. The Chief Minister had promised that he would look into the demands, if it fell within the constitutional framework.

The CNC submitted a memorandum listing out its demands, which included carving out a Codava autonomous region on the lines of Gorkha Hill Council in Darjeeling and giving self-determination rights to Kodavas, he said.

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