The Kodava population is declining, and its culture is undergoing tremendous changes in recent times. The Kodava population is around one and half lakh of six lakh in Kodagu (the Coorg district in Karnataka, well-known for the birth place of the river Kaveri, and coffee estates) . An equal number of Kodava people are found in the other districts of Karnataka and in major cities of India. The Kodavas are known for their well-knit joint family system, but this system is losing ground.
The Kodava-speaking people in Kodagu include Kodava, Amma Kodava, Airi, Hegade, Banna, Maleya, Koyava, Koleya, Madivala, and others.
There was a time when the attempts being made to bring all the Kodava-speaking communities together suffered a minor setback. Some members of the "Hegade" and "Airi" communities demanded representation in the Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy. Members from those communities have been chosen members now. This is seen as a step closer to realising the goal of forging unity.
Some Kodava-speaking communities are of the opinion that they should be declared as Kodavas by the federal Kodava body without being asked to file applications. Some, on the other hand, are waiting eagerly to join the Kodava fold. There is also the possibility that the body concerned, whether Akhila Kodava Samaja or the Federation of Kodava Samajas, is likely to gauge the antecedents of the Kodava-speaking communities before considering their claims. In that case, a relaxation in the rigid rules may be necessary.
The issues before the Kodava linguistic community are really issues that many castes in other regions in India are trying to come to terms with. Should they include sections of society as part of their own, especially when these sections were historically kept out of the major group?
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