Canadian MP Chandra Arya speaks in Kannada in Parliament

Bengaluru: Karnataka-born Canada MP Chandra Arya on Thursday spoke in Kannada in the Canadian Parliament.

Chandra Arya uploaded a one-minute video of his speech. The video has now gone viral with netizens lauding him.

Taking to Twitter, the MP said, ” I spoke in my mother tongue (first language) Kannada in Canadian parliament. This beautiful language has long history and is spoken by about 50 million people. This is the first time Kannada is spoken in any parliament in the world outside of India.”

Arya expressed his pleasure to be able to speak in his mother tongue, Kannada, in the Canadian Parliament.

He ended his speech with a poem by Kuvempu, which was rendered in a song by Dr Rajkumar. He said, “Elladaru iru enthadaru iru endendigu nee Kannadavaagiru” meaning “wherever you are, however you are, be a Kannadiga forever.”

The video was shared by many political leaders including Karnataka higher education minister Dr CN Ashwathnarayan.

Chandra Arya hails from Dwaralu village in Shira taluka of Tumakuru district. He was elected to the Canadian Parliament for the first time in 2015 and again in 2019 for the second time.