The Power to make a Change!

We are three months into the year and from the story unfolding so far, looks like 2017 is going to be the year of the the people. A year where the electorate will stand up to ask for their rights and ensure that their elected representatives deliver on their aspirations. The Jallikattu movement and the fight against the steel flyover have shown that people power is real and active and that the powers to be cannot hoodwink the people anymore and think they can get away with it. Technology has ensured that everybody has access to information at the swipe of a finger. 

This being the case, it is sad to see an educated well informed community and District accepting everything that is thrown at us without even raising an eyebrow. Kodagu is besieged with a lot of problems, most of which is our own doing. However, our big fat chest thumping egos has only helped us brush things under the carpet without taking any of the things head on. I have been harping on the need for us to start a dialogue and raise awareness on ground. From marrying outside the community, to selling property, to the advantages and perils of tourism or the beauty of Coorg and the Culture, everybody in Coorg has an opinion on every single one of these issues. But when it comes to doing something about it, the very same people are always seen walking away rather than confronting the issue. 

This does not mean that there is no change happening on ground, People are starting to get together to address various evils plaguing our Society. From controlling garbage menace to advocating against unplanned developmental activities, small groups of people comprising people of all age groups and genders are starting to spring up across Kodagu in trying to address these issues. However, we seem to be really slacking in being able to get these various groups on to one single platform. 

For the longest time, I have heard my parents and elders talk about their childhood and the joys of running around in clean green Kodagu. Any family get together invariably turns to a flashback session with anecdotes on their childhood adventures. My own childhood was filled with all our cousins coming together and spending time in tanks or streams or just going for a walk into the estate or playing hide and seek in the forest next to our property. Sadly, I cannot for the life of me imagine my nieces or nephews or my kids tomorrow doing it for we have become self sustaining nuclear families busy with our lives. Also, you never know what you might run into. Even though we have always lived right next to the Forest, we did not even imagine running into an elephant during the day. Times have changed and we need to change with it and there is no doubt in that. But what about those things that we can control. 

Today, we have been handed a lifeline and an opportunity to correct the wrongs and start fresh. The ESA is much needed for Coorg and one which will help us get Kodagu back to its past glory, But our elected representatives and other politicians seem to be hell bent on creating panic by spreading false information. The ESA notification does not target the planters or the original inhabitants of Coorg as it is made out to be. Instead, it protects the interests of the planters and the original inhabitants of Coorg from further destruction. Nobody in Coorg has even understood the whole report but have been mislead into believing that it is bad for us,

Kodagu is facing its worst drought in decades. Our rivers, streams and ponds are running dry. Elephant menace is spreading with man animal conflict springing up in newer areas everyday, The ESA is the answer to addressing and tackling these problems. It coming into existence will not stop us from shade lopping or using chemical fertilizers or for that matter building a house inside the estate, Of course, it affects those who were indulging in exploiting our Natural resources for commercial purposes. And hence our politicians cutting across political lines have all come together to oppose this as it will put a stop to all their illegal activities, be it sand or stone quarrying, land conversion for resorts, layouts or cutting of trees for so called development activities.

The time has come for all of us to come together and get our hands dirty in helping us protect and preserve whatever little is left of Coorg, We might not agree or like those environmentalists who are fighting the cause at the moment. But how will they know that some of their views are wrong, if we do not make an effort to join the cause and express our views. I do not want to sit for a drink in a few years from now and sound exactly like my Dad's generation is sounding now. 

I would humbly request all the Kodava Samajas, the various groups advocating various reforms in Coorg to come together for this cause. Imagine, being proud Kodavas without a Kodagu that we can relate to. What is the use of a Samaja then if we cannot work towards protecting our land? Our culture, language is dying, the only thing that we can hold on to dear is our land and it is time we do something about it. Let us forget our egos, our disagreements and hatred for each other and come together for the greater good of our future. We might be losing our language, diluting our Culture with new age practices and all this needs to be addressed. But what good is it trying to solve any of these issues if we do not have a place called HOME. 

I just turned 33 and am planning to start a family soon. I want my kids tomorrow to see a Kodagu that I saw and enjoyed and I believe that it is my responsibility to make sure it happens. I don't want to look back at today 30 years from now and regret the fact that we had a chance to change the status quo and did not do anything about it. We have a duty to our forefathers and our future generations to preserve and protect our land. 

Spread the word and galvanise support, Our time is now!