By P.T. Bopanna
Renowned anthropologist Dr. M.A. Kalam (in picture), says that the Kodava (Coorg) community lost its distinct official identity during the 1941 census after they were bracketed under Hindu religion.
He notes the British consistently recorded the Kodavas as a distinct, independent demographic category. However, during the 1941 census, this unique enumeration was dropped, and they were subsumed into broader Hindu categories—a categorization issue that persists, diluting their distinct ethnic and cultural identity. Dr. Kalam advocates that the community should demand to be enumerated independently once again.
He argues that bracketing the community under broader categories, such as Other Backward Classes (OBC), has led to their marginalisation and the gradual dilution of their indigenous heritage.
Dr. Kalam urged the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Registrar General to introduce a separate enumeration category in upcoming national census exercises.
With data from modern censuses showing a significant decline in native Kodava language speakers, he advocates that immediate separate categorization is critical to prevent the absolute erasure of their socio-cultural identity.
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