Kottukathira P. Somanna (Jolly)

Kottukathira P. Somanna, commonly known as Somanna (Jolly), is a former Indian Navy serviceman, banking professional, social worker and Kodava writer from Kodagu, Karnataka. He served in the Indian Navy for ten years, including during the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War, and subsequently had a career spanning more than three decades in banking. He has also been associated with several organisations working for the welfare of ex-servicemen, senior citizens and the Kodava community.

Family

Father: Kottukathira Ponnappa

Mother :  Mangerira Accavva

Siblings

• maj Kottukathira p poovaiah,
• sub maj Kottukathira . P. Nanjunda,
• Kottukathira  p kalappa,
• Kottukathira  p subbaiah,
• Kottukathira . P. Somanna,
• palangetira Pccamma Muthappa

Spouse : Ponnachettira Kusuma (Satya)

Daughters:

• Namratha (Preethi), married to Choundira Vinu Hemanth.
• Sowmya (Neethi), married to Kiriyamada Suraj Ganapathi.

Early life and education

Somanna was born on 25 June 1948 and is originally from Kopatti village in Madikeri taluk, Kodagu. He is the son of K. S. Ponnappa and Accavva.

He completed a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree and obtained the Junior Associate of the Indian Institute of Bankers (JAIIB) qualification. He has also undergone training in computer applications, firefighting, first aid, accounting software, English and Kannada typing, document verification and security and intelligence.

Military service

Somanna joined the Indian Navy on 16 October 1966 and served until 31 October 1976, completing ten years of service.

During his naval career, he participated in the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War, serving with a missile boat headquarters. He received the Paschimi Star and Sangram Medal in recognition of his wartime service.

His participation in the 1971 war was also notable within his family. His two elder brothers, Major K. P. Poovaiah and Subedar Major K. P. Nanjunda, also served in the armed forces and participated in the same war. The participation of three brothers from the same family in a single war is regarded by the family as a distinctive aspect of their military history.

Banking career

Following his naval service, Somanna joined the State Bank of Mysore as a clerk in 1978. He subsequently rose through the banking hierarchy and retired as a Chief Manager after more than three decades of service, with his banking career extending from 5 January 1978 to 30 June 2008.

From 2014 to 31 March 2019, he served as Chief Executive Officer and Expert Banking Adviser at Sri Kalidasa Sahakara Bank Ltd., Gandhinagara, Bengaluru.

During his tenure at the cooperative bank, he was associated with the computerisation of the institution, an improvement in its audit classification from C to B, and a reduction in its reported non-performing assets (NPA) to approximately 7 percent.

Public and community service

Somanna has held leadership positions in several community, social and banking organisations. His public service associations include:

• President, Kodava Samaja, Periyapatna
• President, Kannada Balaga, Periyapatna
• President, All India Bank Employees Association, Kodagu
• General Secretary, Bank Officers Association, Kodagu
• Managing Committee Member, All India Associate Bank Officers Association, State Bank of Mysore unit
• President, Kiggattnad Hiriya Nagarika Vedike, Ponnampet
• President and Honorary President, Akhila Karnataka Maji Sainikara Sangha, Kodagu

His activities have particularly focused on the welfare of ex-servicemen, war veterans and their families.

Service to ex-servicemen and their families

Somanna has been involved in assisting former service personnel and military widows in accessing government benefits and resolving administrative and welfare-related issues.

Among the initiatives attributed to his social service are assistance to 67 ex-servicemen and widows in obtaining an annual penury grant of ₹96,000, as well as efforts relating to housing, roads, police protection and other welfare requirements.

He has also pursued matters concerning pension and service benefits of former defence personnel, including cases involving naval personnel who completed ten years of service without receiving a pension.

His work has involved liaising with government officials, elected representatives and ministers on issues affecting ex-servicemen and their families. He has also assisted in matters relating to employment opportunities for ex-servicemen and widows in defence-related establishments.

Educational and social initiatives

Somanna has supported educational initiatives in his native region. For nearly two decades, he has contributed notebooks and writing materials to the school in Kopatti, where he began his education.

He has also donated five computers to the high school where he completed his secondary education, identified in his records as Aruna Junior College, Cherambane.

Literary work

Somanna has written extensively in Kodava Thakk as well as Kannada and English. Several of his works have been published by the Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy and the Kodava Makkada Koota.

His published and forthcoming works include:

1. Naada Samsara (That Is My Some Saara) — Kodava; published by the Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy.
2. Oh! Adaa? (Kayileye Alla, Neenundengi) — Kodava; published by the Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy.
3. Dowry Divorce (Moli Enna?) — Kodava; published by the Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy.
4. Karma – Prarabda (Darno Budule) — Kodava; published by the Kodava Makkada Koota.
5. Aa Pannerand Tinga (Talemar Mund) — Kodava; published by the Kodava Makkada Koota.
6. Baduku (Sagaradalli Muthu) — Kannada; released through the State Bank of Mysore Pensioners Commune.
7. Dharma – Paddati (Ennang?) — Kodava; under publication at the time of documentation.
8. Destiny — English; forthcoming.
9. Third Eye (Bank Managers) — English; a work concerning the detection of fraud in banking.

His literary works form part of his broader contribution to the preservation and expression of Kodava language and culture.

Legacy

Kottukathira P. Somanna’s life combines military service, a long banking career, community leadership, social welfare and literary activity. His service in the Indian Navy during the 1971 war, followed by his work in banking and his sustained involvement in the welfare of ex-servicemen, represents a multifaceted contribution to public and community life.

His writings in Kodava Thakk, together with his educational and social initiatives, also form part of his contribution to the preservation and development of Kodava cultural heritage.

Editorial note: I would strongly recommend keeping the phone numbers, personal email addresses and exact residential address out of the public Heritage page. They aren’t necessary for documenting his life and make the page less encyclopaedic. If you want, those can instead be retained in KodavaClan’s private heritage contributor/contact records.