THE GANDHI OF KODAGU: PANDYANDA BELLIAPPA

Pandyanda Belliappa was known as the Gandhi of Kodagu. He was a freedom fighter from Kodagu who courted arrest several times under British rule. His wife Seethamma was also a freedom fighter who was sent to prison for being part of the Indian Independence movement. Belliappa was actively involved in local politics and he founded a periodical called ‘Kodagu’. He was responsible for bringing Mahatma Gandhi to Coorg in 1934. He left the Congress party in 1952.

Iythichanda Ramesh Uthappa, a senior journalist from Mysore, wrote his biography in Kannada. Nitin Kushalappa translated the same, almost word-by-word, into English. The book was printed by Krishna Printers in Madikeri and published by Codava Makkada Coota. The book was released in 2020 in the Kodagu Press Club by Dr Kodira Monnappa Lokesh of the Mangalore University.

Bacharaniyanda Appanna master, a scholar in Kodava culture and history, retired professor of history from Somwarpet College and former President of the Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy, his wife Ranu Appanna, also a retired professor, Meriyanda C Nanaiah, former law minister of Karnataka, Kottakattira Prakash, retired army personnel, filmmaker and author, Bollajira Aiyappa, president of the Codava Makkada Coota, educationist Mandepanda Kuttaiah and others were also present during the book release.

The book is available on Coorgshoppe: https://coorgshoppe.com/the-gandhi-of-kodagu-3173254.