‘O Maga Koraga Ormbarayana…’- MP Oscar sings Tulu Song in Rajya Sabha

‘O Maga Koraga Ormbarayana…’- MP Oscar sings Tulu Song in Rajya Sabha

Oscar Fernandes, Congress Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament has first time in history sang a famous Tulu folk song in Rajya Sabha- “Oh Maga Koraga Ormbarayana ! EruBathunda Balpula Maga Beri Budoda ! meaning ‘Oh Son Koraga…If the buffalo arrives you’ll have to run, once it chases you it will not leave your back. (Watch the Youtube video below)

Mangaluru: Even though presently twenty-two languages are listed in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution and are recognized as official languages, but Tulu and Kodava are not on this list. For that reason, on Friday 7 April, Congress MP B K Hariprasad in the Rajya Sabha while moving a private member’s Bill for amendment to the Constitution, demanded that Karnataka’s two widely spoken languages, Tulu and Kodava, be included in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution at the earliest.

Hariprasad said that Tulu and Kodava-speaking people, who are the minorities in Karnataka feel that there is huge discrimination against them as both state and central governments do not recognize these as official languages. “Both Tulu and Kodava-speaking people have made huge contributions in various fields at the national and international levels, and these languages need to be recognized officially,” urged Hariprasad. His proposal was supported by Basavaraj Patil Sedam from BJP.

In the meantime, MP Oscar Fernandes singing a Tulu folk song in the Rajya Sabha won the hearts of other members. In a rare gesture in support of the demand to include Tulu in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, Rajya Sabha Member and senior Congress leader Oscar Fernandes sprang a surprise by singing a couple of lines from a Tulu folk song. His song was appreciated by members by thumping the tables, and he was complimented for his excellent singing.

Fellow member Jairam Ramesh suggested that Oscar speak in Tulu instead of English. Addressing the members of the Rajya Sabha Oscar said, “During my childhood days I used to sing Tulu songs to the buffaloes in our farm, and these buffaloes understood only Tulu and not Kannada. And here I am going to sing a few lines from the famous Tulu folk song. It goes like this-‘O maga koraga ormbarayana, Eru bathunda balpu maga beri budoda. (If the buffalo arrives you’ll have to run, once it chases you it will not leave your back)”. Highlighting the relevance of Tulu and Kodava in Karnataka’s culture and tradition, Oscar also explained about the Coastal and Malnad art of Yakshagana.