Coorg State

Last updated

Coorg State
Former State
1947–1956
Coorg in India (1951).svg
Location of Coorg State in India
CountryFlag of India.svg  India
Region South India
Formation26 January 1947
Dissolution1 November 1956
Government
  Chief minister
 1952-1956
C. M. Poonacha
Time zone UTC+05:30 (IST)
Preceded by
Succeeded by
British Raj Red Ensign.svg Coorg Province
Mysore State Flag of India.svg
Map of Southern India before the States Reorganisation Act of 1956 with Coorg State in dark green South Indian territories.svg
Map of Southern India before the States Reorganisation Act of 1956 with Coorg State in dark green

Coorg State was a Part-C state in India which existed from 1950 to 1956. [1] When the Constitution of India came into force on 26 January 1950, most of the existing provinces were reconstituted into states. Thus, Coorg Province became Coorg State. Coorg State was ruled by a Chief Commissioner with Mercara as its capital. The head of the government was the Chief Minister. Coorg State was abolished on 1 November 1956 as per the States Reorganisation Act, 1956 and its territory were merged with Mysore State (later renamed as Karnataka in 1973). [2] Presently, Coorg forms a district of Karnataka state.

History

The Coorg State came into being on 26 January 1950 as per the Constitution of India. Prior to the enactment of the Constitution, Coorg had been a province of the Dominion of India.

The first legislative elections in Coorg were held in 1952. The main contenders were the Indian National Congress led in the state by C. M. Poonacha and the Takkadi party led by the Gandhian Pandyanda Belliappa. While the Congress supported merger with the neighbouring Mysore State, the Takkadi party fought the election on an anti-merger plank. The Indian National Congress won a majority of 15 seats while the Takkadi party bagged the remaining nine seats.

Commissioners of Coorg State

(1) Dewan Bahadur Ketolira Chengappa, became its first Chief Commissioner from 1947–1949

(2) C.T. Mudaliar became Chief Commissioner from 1949–1950 [1]

(3) Kanwar Baba Daya Singh Bedi, Chief Commissioner from 1950–1956 [1]

Government of Coorg

Government was formed in Coorg by Indian National Congress, who won 15 of 24 seats. Cabinet was formed with two ministers (including Chief Minister), which lasted till States Reorganisation Act on 1 November 1956.

Chief Minister

Cheppudira Muthana Poonacha won from Berriathnad constituency became the first and last Chief Minister of Coorg State from 1952 till 1956. [1]

Cabinet

Dissolution

As a result of the States Reorganisation Act of 1 November 1956, when India's state boundaries were reorganised, Coorg State became a district of the then Mysore State [1] [3] [4] Mysore State was later renamed as Karnataka and part of the historical region of Coorg now forms the Kodagu district of Karnataka. [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kodagu district</span> District of Karnataka in India

Kodagu district is an administrative district in the Karnataka state of India. Before 1956, it was an administratively separate Coorg State, at which point it was merged into an enlarged Mysore State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kodava people</span> Ethnic group in India

The Kodava people or Kodavas or Codavas are an ethno-linguistic group from the region of Kodagu in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, who natively speak the Kodava language. They are traditionally land-owning agriculturists and patrilineal, with martial customs. Kodavas worship ancestors and weapons. They used to worship swords, bows, arrows and later guns. Hence, Kodavas are the only ones in India permitted to carry firearms without a license.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mysore State</span> Indian state from 1947 to 1956; predecessor of Karnataka

Mysore State, colloquially Old Mysore, was a state within the Dominion of India and the subsequent Republic of India from 1947 until 1956. The state was formed by renaming the Kingdom of Mysore, and Bangalore replaced Mysore as the state's capital. When Parliament passed the States Reorganisation Act in 1956, Mysore State was considerably enlarged when it became a linguistically homogeneous Kannada-speaking state within the Republic of India by incorporating territories from Andhra, Bombay, Coorg, Hyderabad, and Madras States, as well as other petty fiefdoms. It was subsequently renamed Karnataka in 1973.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government of Karnataka</span> Indian State Government

The Government of Karnataka, abbreviated as GoK, or simply Karnataka Government, formerly Government of Mysore, is a democratically elected state body with the governor as the ceremonial head to govern the Southwest Indian state of Karnataka. The governor who is appointed for five years appoints the chief minister and on the advice of the chief minister appoints his council of ministers. Even though the governor remains the ceremonial head of the state, the day-to-day running of the government is taken care of by the chief minister and his council of ministers in whom a great amount of legislative powers are vested.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Kodagu</span>

The district of Kodagu in present-day Karnataka comprises the area of the former princely state of the same name.

Rao Bahadur Pemmanda K. Monnappa was a police officer of South India. He served in three Southern states, Madras, Hyderabad and Mysore (Karnataka), at different times. However, he is to be best remembered for his contributions towards the integration of Hyderabad into the Union. Monnappa had a career in the Public Service reflected by his titles and medals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">C. M. Poonacha</span> Indian politician

Cheppudira Muthana Poonacha was the Chief Minister of Coorg, Minister in Mysore State, Member of Parliament, Union Railway Minister of India and Governor of Madhya Pradesh and Governor of Orissa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">States Reorganisation Act, 1956</span> Indian act reforming state boundaries

The States Reorganisation Act, 1956 was a major reform of the boundaries of India's states and territories, organising them along linguistic lines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1952 Coorg State Legislative Assembly election</span> Legislative Assembly election in Coorg, India

The 1952 Coorg Legislative Assembly election was held to constitute the Coorg Legislative Assembly, electing members of legislature for 18 constituencies of the erstwhile Indian State of Coorg. It took place on 27 March 1952 and a total of 87,947 people voted 24 out of 60 candidates to power. This was the only election to the assembly before the State was merged into Mysore as per the States Reorganisation Act in 1956.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gundugutti Manjanathaya</span> Indian freedom fighter and politician

Gundugutti M. Manjanathaya was an Indian freedom fighter and politician. Born as G. M. Manjanath, he was a prominent coffee planter and lived in the village of Gundugutti in Somwarpet taluk in Kodagu district.

Pandyanda I. Belliappa was a Gandhian, a freedom fighter and politician from the erstwhile state of Coorg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">N. Somanna</span> Indian politician and lawyer

Nidemane Somana was an Indian politician and lawyer. He was an Indian National Congress leader in Coorg State and served as the Member of Parliament for the state in the first legislature after the independence of India.

Coorg was a constituency of the Lok Sabha. It was used in the parliamentary election of 1951–1952. The constituency elected a single member of the Lok Sabha and was the sole Lok Sabha seat for the Coorg State. As of 1952, the constituency had 94,593 eligible voters.

South Kanara (South) Lok Sabha constituency was a former Lok Sabha constituency in Madras State. This seat came into existence in 1951. With the implementation of States Reorganisation Act, 1956, it ceased to exist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Attur, Virajpet</span> Village in Karnataka, India

Atthur is a small village near Gonikoppa in Virajpet Taluk of Kodagu District, Karnataka State, India. It comes under Guhya Panchayath. It belongs to Mysore Division. It is located 37 km (23 mi) towards South from District headquarters Madikeri and 240 km (150 mi) from State capital Bangalore.

Kittur Mallappa was the lone Home Minister of Coorg State from 1952 to 1956. He was a Legislator for Shanivarsanthe of Coorg (Kodagu) from 1952–1957 and for Mercara from 1957 till his death in 1966.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Cahoon, Ben. "Indian states since 1947". www.worldstatesmen.org.
  2. "When Kodagu merged with Mysore: A short political history of the region". 12 August 2020.
  3. Gayathri, M. B.; Mysore, University of (6 April 1997). "Development of Mysore state, 1940-56". University of Mysore via Google Books.
  4. Ramaswamy, Harish (6 April 2018). Karnataka Government and Politics. Concept Publishing Company. ISBN   9788180693977 via Google Books.
  5. Muthanna, I M. Coorg Memoirs (The story of the Kodavas).

Further reading

12°25′15″N75°44′23″E / 12.4208°N 75.7397°E / 12.4208; 75.7397