Book excerpt: As a journalist based in Bangalore, I have taken active interest in the affairs of Kodagu (Coorg) in the last quarter of a century. In fact, I started my journalistic career as the Coorg Correspondent of The Hindu newspaper at Madikeri in 1981. Though based in Bangalore all my working years, except for my brief sojourn at Madikeri, I had been writing from time to time on Kodagu matters. Through my writings, I was able to make the voice of Kodagu heard in the corridors of power in Bangalore on important issues. I was the first to report on the Union government’s move in 1993 to withdraw the exemption given to Kodavas (Coorgs) and Jamma-holders to possess firearms without licence. The Centre wanted to withdraw the privilege after guns from Kodagu reached the hands of the banned Maoists in Andhra Pradesh. Through my reports in The Times of India newspaper, especially in the Delhi edition of the paper, I was able to put across to the mandarins in the Union Home Ministry in Delhi that people of Kodagu not only worshipped their weapons, but seldom misused their privilege. It was pointed out that the gun-running was the[…] This book was produced with ePustaka - Ink and Weave initiative by Techfiz Inc (hIps://techfiz.com).