Madikeri: The Delimitation Commission of India has proposed to cut down one Assembly segment in Kodagu, of the existing three. It has applied the population criterion to determine the issue. Kodagu's population as per the 2001 census is 5.45 lakh. Going by the yardstick of the commission, the population is just about right for two Assembly segments, leaving a little surplus. And, the low population in Kodagu, where people have adhered to small family norms, has cost them dear. Individually everyone in the district is against the whittling down of one segment, which is Somwarpet. Madikeri and Virajpet would remain with parts of Somwarpet going to Madikeri and Virajpet constituencies. Kodagu, which is now part of the Mangalore Lok Sabha constituency, would join the Mysore West as per the new arrangement. Efforts to gather political support for any cause in the district have always ended in a fiasco.

There was just one MLA, B.A. Jivijaya from Somwarpet, and C.S. Arun Machaiah, MLC, apart from the president of the Akhila Kodava Samaja, Matanda C. Monnappa, senior Congress leader, M.G. Kuttappa, Sarojini Muthanna, advocate from Bangalore, and B.G. Bopaiah, a representative of the Akhila Kodava Samaja in Bangalore, when Kodagu's demand was made to the Chairman of the Delimitation Commission of India, Kuldip Singh, in Bangalore on May 1.

Other legislators, former Ministers, representatives of social organisations, who have derived enough mileage in Kodagu, chose to ignore the hearing in Bangalore.

Is there a ray of hope for Kodagu?

This is a tough question to answer, says Mr. Monnappa, who was one of the members present at the hearing. Mr. Kuldip Singh was convinced by the members from Kodagu on the need to maintain three Assembly segments.

There was not much talk on the Lok Sabha constituency, which would henceforth be Mysore West.

But, a member, who contested the recent Chamundeshwari elections in Mysore, had said it was not good to integrate Kodagu with Mysore owing to its unique culture and people. It should be maintained as an entity, he said.

As per the new arrangement, Udupi and Chikmagalur Lok Sabha constituencies would also cease to exist. Representatives from Chikmagalur, including B.L. Shankar and D.K. Taradevi, argued for their district, Mr. Monnappa said.

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