Why Kodavas, who once blazed through the hockey pitch and Army battles, are abandoning both
- ManuAiyappa Kanathanda
- TNNUpdated: May 29, 2019, 13:52 IST IST
Dwindling population, migration take a toll on the community in coffee-growing Kodagu which now wants minority status, reservations
BENGALURU: In the tiny district of Kodagu, south-west Karnataka, which is home to the martial race of Kodavas, there goes a saying: If you throw a stone, it will either hit a soldier or a hockey player.
Located about 250 km from Bengaluru, Kodagu (formerly known as Coorg) has produced not just the finest blends of Arabica and Robusta coffee, but its inhabitants, the Kodavas, have given India some of its most decorated Army officers, notable among them Field Marshal K M Cariappa and General K S Thimayya. Talking about the Kodavas, how can one forget hockey, the sport that seems to run in their blood with many from the community leaving their mark in the national game. M P Ganesh, the first Kodava to captain the national team, tops a list that also features ace players M M Somaiya, C S Poonacha, A B Subbaiah and Len Aiyappa.
Located about 250 km from Bengaluru, Kodagu (formerly known as Coorg) has produced not just the finest blends of Arabica and Robusta coffee, but its inhabitants, the Kodavas, have given India some of its most decorated Army officers, notable among them Field Marshal K M Cariappa and General K S Thimayya. Talking about the Kodavas, how can one forget hockey, the sport that seems to run in their blood with many from the community leaving their mark in the national game. M P Ganesh, the first Kodava to captain the national team, tops a list that also features ace players M M Somaiya, C S Poonacha, A B Subbaiah and Len Aiyappa.
