Petitions
Ms Somayya - 'Future of Coorg'
6 July 1947.
M.S. Somayya, a District Board Member and Honorary Secretary of the Coorg Provincial Co-operative Bank, wrote to the President of the Constituent Assembly on 6 July 1947 from Virajpet, South Coorg. The memorial was signed by twenty-one prominent Coorg figures, including current and former members of the Legislative Council, co-operative bank presidents, planters, and landlords.
The signatories wanted Coorg to continue as a separate administrative province and opposed its merger into the proposed Karnataka Province. They alleged that the Karnataka Provincial Congress Committee was manoeuvring Coorg politics towards merger and had banned Congress members in Coorg from speaking publicly on the issue. The existing Coorg Legislature, they argued, did not represent popular opinion on this question, since its members were elected before the Cabinet Mission Plan was announced. If a referendum were held, it should be confined to permanent inhabitants who owned immovable property in Coorg.
The petition welcomed a recent recommendation by a joint Sub-Committee of the Constituent Assembly that Coorg be given an elected legislature with full autonomous powers under a Governor appointed by the Union President. Maintaining the status quo, the signatories argued, required no referendum. Only a proposal to amalgamate Coorg would.
To
The President,
The Constituent Assembly,
NEW DELHI.
Respected Sir,
FUTURE OF COORG.
This memorial by the following signatories who have some representative capacity in the country presenteth the following few points for your earnest consideration.
1. The overwhelming majority of the people of Coorg prefer the province of Coorg to continue as a separate administrative unit as at present, on the same status as other administrative provinces.
2. The overwhelming majority of the people of Coorg definitely are against Coorg forming an administrative part in the proposed Karnataka Province.
3. There is no open agitation in the country for merging Coorg in the proposed Karnataka Province, but the Karnataka Provincial Congress Committee is so manoe vering Coorg politics as to see that Coorg forms part of Karnataka Province and to gain this end, the Karnataka Provincial Congress Committee has imposed an indefinite ban on all Congress members in Coorg, restraining them from educating people on this point, in which the people are so vitally interested. It is obvious that it is not without any definite object that the Karnataka Provincial Congress Committee is continuing this ban, while the Congress itself has all along fought for the liberty of speech and expression of views.
4. We are also definitely of the opinion that the present Coorg Legislature does not truly represent the popular opinion of the country on this issue as they were elected to the Council long before the Cabinet Missions plan was announced and ipso facto, the person elected by that body to represent Coorg in the Constituent Assembly does not represent the popular opinion of the country on that issue.
5. If, however, a referendum is to be taken on this issue immediately, it is but proper that only the present voters should participate, and if it is to be taken at a later date we are strongly of opinion that it should be confined to only the permanent inhabitants of this Province who own immovable property, for there are a great many outside persons who have no more than passing interest in this Province.
6. The recent press report that the joint Sub-Committee set up by the Union and Provincial Constitution Committees of the Consambly has recommended to the effect that the centrally administered areas of Delhi, Coorg and Ajmer will each have an elected Legislature with full autonomous powers under a Governor appointed by the Union President and these areas will have the right to join the neighbouring provinces or states, if there be full responsible Government in that state – has caused great satisfaction to the people of Coorg, as it meets their legitimate aspirations. To maintain the status-quo viz: continuing Coorg as a separate province requires no referendum. It is only when amalgamation of Coorg is to be considered that recourse to referendum is necessary. The people of Coorg are very grateful to all concerned for the sagacious recommendations as they further appeal to all those members of the Constituent Assembly to approve the same.
(Any communications be kindly addressed to Sri. M.S. Somayya, Virajpet)
We beg to remain,
South Coorg,
VIRAJPET,
6th July 1947.
1. Sd/ Sri. K.M.Kushalappa, M.L.C. Director, Coorg Provincial Co-operative Bank Ltd.
2. Sd/ Sri. P.M.Ponnappa, Director, Coorg Provincial Co-operative Bank Ltd.
3. Sd/. Sri. K.K.Ganapathy, Co-operative Union, President.
4. Sd/ Sri. C.G.Muddayya, President, Hysodlur Co-operative Society.
5. Sd/ Sri. K.M.Poovayya, Honorary Secretary, Coorg Orange Growers’ Co-operative Society, Ltd., and Planter.
6. Sd/ Sri. B.M.Subbayya, Ex-President, Coorg Landholders’ Association.
7. Sd/ Sri. M.A.Karumbayya, Land Lord.
8. Sd/ Sri. A.S.Ponnappa, Ex-Member, Legislative Council, and Land Lord.
9. Sd/ Sri. K.P.Appaiya, M.L.C. President, Coorg Provincial Co-operative Bank Ltd.
0. Sd/ Sri. B.M.Kariappa, Ex-M.L.C. and Land Lord.
1. Sd/ Sri. I.M.Appacha, Nad Thacka.
2. Sd/ Sri. N.C.Nanjappa, Ex. Municipal Councillor.
3. Sd/ C.M.Biddayya, President, Coorg Landholders’ Association.
4. Sd/ Sri. I.P.Kariappa, Ex M.L.C. President, District Board.
5. Sd/ Sri. S.N.Ramachetty, Ex. President, District Board and Planter.
6. Sd/ Sri. H.T.Muthanna, M.L.C. President, Co-operative Union.
7. Sd/ Sri. K.S.Kushalappa, Ex District Board Member, and President, Coorg Association.
8. Sd/ Sri. M.S.Somayya, District Board Member, Honorary Secretary, Coorg Provincial Co-operative Bank Ltd.
9. Sd/ Sri. K.P.Karumbayya, M.A., LLB., and M.L.C. Advocate, and President High School Fund Committee.
10. Sri. K.A.Chinnappa, District Board Member, and Land Lord.
11. Sd/ Sri. P.I.Belliappa, M.L.C. President, Coorg Provincial Co-operative Marketing Federation Ltd., and Editor, Kodagu.
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Copy forwarded to the Secretary, Linguistic Provinces Commission,
New Delhi, for kind perusal.