How Kodavas lost their distinct identity – Part II

During the reign of the British, the community was enumerated as Kodavas, and their population during 1839-40 was 17,096 (the population of the Kodagu province was 81,437). When the first census was conducted in India during 1872, the Kodava population was 26,398, and that of the Kodagu province was 1,68,312. In the subsequent decadal censuses, they maintained their Kodava identity, and in the 1931 Census their population was 41,026, and that of the province was 1,63,327. (There was an overall negative growth in the total population of Kodagu due to various reasons, particularly because of the rampant scourge of malaria).

The 1941 Census was crucial because the Kodavas got merged under the Hindu category and lost their hitherto distinct identity. No doubt that there was a similar effect as regards such merging on the other castes too. For instance, the Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Shudra too got merged under the label of Hindus, but there cannot be much argument in the case of these latter castes as they were all indeed part of the chathur varna system.

Merging the Kodavas into the fold of the Hindus was not justified at all as they had almost nothing to do with Hinduism. This 1941 loss of Kodava identity continues to this day as all the decadal censuses since then have kept the Kodavas merged under the Hindu moniker. What is interesting is that the Kodavas do maintain to this day almost all their primordial religious practices, traditions, and customary laws that they have had for generations, despite losing their exclusive identity.

Also Read | How Kodavas lost their distinct identity – Part I

A Flawed Rationale

What seems to have triggered this proclivity to merge them with the Hindus could be seen from a statement in the 1921 Census that says, “any form of religious practice not foreign to the Hindu system is generally considered to be included in the term Hinduism”. (Census of India, 1921; Volume XII, Page 12).

This thought was the primary and seems to be the sole reason for including a community under the Hindu rubric. This rationale, logic, and reasoning are quite flawed and fraught with danger. As is well-known, several Christians, Jains, Parsis, and Sikhs do frequent Hindu temples. If these minority groups have retained their distinct identities, and have been recognised and enumerated as such all through the censuses, in spite of associating themselves with certain Hindu practices, how come the Kodavas have not been allowed to do so?

How many Kodavas?

Today, as far as the State is concerned, there is no officially designated Kodava status or identity. It is just that this group of people self-define themselves as Kodavas and have always been doing so despite being officially deprived of their identity since 1941.

Besides the other issues that they have had to face because of the loss of an official identity, the great disadvantage they have is not knowing their numbers precisely. No one is sure as to what the population of the Kodavas is today, or has been during the decadal censuses since 1941. Also, we do not know the number and average size of their households, their sex ratio, and various data as regards the social and economic factors that are of crucial significance and concerns them, affects them, and impacts them.

Kodavas have been agitating at the district and state level in Karnataka for a backward class or tribal status, but that is unlikely to bear fruit when the extent of their population and allied factors about them are not known.

A silver lining?

The 2021 Census is yet to take place, and we are not clear as to when that would come about. Also, many states have been clamouring for inclusion of the enumeration of caste in it. Bihar is set to conduct a caste census at the state level. So, it would augur well if steps are taken to enumerate them separately and give them back their Kodava identity officially.

Also, the elections to the Karnataka assembly are due soon, and the Kodavas could make it a poll issue and demand to get back their erstwhile identity. To what extent they can exert their rightful claim to their lost identity and be successful, depends on how forcefully they can put forth their demand.

Administratively, the Kodagu district has five taluks but only two assembly seats. Also, it does not help much that there is no independent Lok Sabha representative for Kodagu district as it is merged with parts of Mysuru district.

It is time for the Kodavas to make a claim for the restoration of their identity as a just and legitimate demand.

(MA Kalam, a social anthropologist, is Visiting Professor, Centre for Economic and Social Studies, Hyderabad. The author has been researching in Kodagu since the early 1970s.)

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.