First day at his job, Vice Prez Jha sparks protests after swearing in Hindi

There were minor demonstrations across the country against the newly elected Vice President Parmananda Jha for taking oath of office and secrecy in Hindi language during the President and Vice-Presidential swearing in ceremony at Shital Niwas Wednesday.

Student organisations affiliated with different parties staged demonstrations in various parts of the capital Thursday against Vice President Jha taking the oath of office in a "foreign language". They demanded that VP Jha publicly apologise for this.

Similarly, locals of Gajuri in Dhading district barred vehicles from plying on the road by imposing transportation strike Thursday. They were apparently enraged by Vice President Jha taking oath in Hindi.

They also said that this was a matter of grave concern which has put at risk the sovereignty of the country. Likewise, Chure Bhawar Ekata Samaj, a party which claims to work for the people of hilly origin living in the Terai, also obstructed traffic for more than an hour in the East-West highway passing through Saptari district.

The transportation strike had caused a long traffic snarl in the highway, causing a great problem for passengers.

In Butwal also local youths chanted slogans against the newly elected VP and blocked traffic in the major roads and intersections. There were reports of protests in Makwanpur, Rupandehi, Nawalparasi, Dadelhura and Tahahun also.

President Dr Ram Baran Yadav, clad in the national custom, had taken the oath of office and secrecy in Nepali. However, when he administered the oath of office to his deputy Jha, who was clad in a dress many identify with Indian parliamentarians, the latter preferred to take it in Hindi, raising eyebrows among the high-level dignitaries and political leaders present there.

According to an independent statistics, only 0.05 percent of people living in Terai speak Hindi. The majority of the people there speak Bhojpuri, Maithali, Avadhi and other local dialects. However, Madhesi leaders prefer to mostly speak in Hindi during the parliamentary proceedings saying that it is a "lingua franca" in Terai. nepalnews.com July 24 08

The president supporting the VP with the oath that was taken in Hindi saying  "Hindi language is uniting the entire Madhesi community---who may have different mother tongues, such as Maithili, Bhojpuri, Awadi and others", is an arrogant and ignorant defense, a slap to the Nepali language. By that logic, he should be speaking SANSKRIT instead. The president of American DOES NOT speak Latin to cover all European dialects.
Nepali is the de facto language of Nepal.
i was initially supporting him but I'm loosing patience and tempting me to join the other side. He want to represent few over majority, which I think is enough to throw him and the VP out of the seat.

Himalaya I take the 5th 2 ur question.

Mr. Jha should admit his mistake and apologize. And in the future NEPALI GOVT. should hold a firm policy on this.

I second that bathroomcoffee. Our Country is Nepal, We are Nepali, our national language is Nepali, Our parliament is called Nepalese parliament. How come a person comes and takes oath in Hindi for VP post of Totally different country Nepal.

ho keta ho pachkaide sabai dhoti haru lai. dhoti uthaudai bhagos na bihar tira muji haru. sale ma paye ta sale tyo yadav ho ki ko ho tesko privates katera teslai nai khuwaidinthe. sale haija chor. sab bihari haru bhariya haru sale bhate haru.  pitnu parcha ktm ko keta haru le testa haru lai
ani tyo geographical division chaiyo bhanne ni pheri. tyo kattu lai geographical bhaya ta thaha hola ni pheri. sale dhoti na ho. sale surti moldai basi ra hola bhate. tyo politics ko people haru meet hune thau ma ni chor pheri khaini moldai aula. aja tyo VP kaile UN ko convention ma gayo bhane ni pheri khaini moldai speech dina jancha hola. imagine guys that guy giving speech ani bich bich ma spitting tobacco or pan or whatever. badass
man nepal  is awesome

I understand he is from terai, but madheshi people dont speak hindi they sepeak, maithali , bhojpuri but hindi.. no way..

tyei ta, ma bhani liyeko.... yo VP ley hindi ma sapath kina li liyeko chha, ani hami kina chupa baschu.
yo ta aati bhailiyo,, nepali bhayera hamro nepal ke bhasha ke ijjat garna na janiliyeko manche lai hami kina VP banai liyeko chau,
hami ta mandina ba yesto kura lai. VP bhaye pachi sabai nepali ko chit bujhaune gari feri Nepali ma saptha lie linu parcha usle. ani matra hami santi bhayera basilinchhu.

can somebody tell that joker upendra yadav that when you are a civil servant you are representing Nepal not your freaking madesh or your madeishe outfit. you want to speak in hindi and wear your dhoti kurta, stay at your home and go about your business...no one will give a rat ass. but if you're representing Nepal then be prepare to speak in Nepali and wear Nepali dress.

This is totally wrong for him to take oath in Hindi.  If he would have taken owth in Maithali or bhojpuri even awadhi that would have been different but Hin Hindi?  Zero tolerance !!!  This is Nepal not bihar or other Indian state.

Just when you think there is a new beginning, the incident has already put a mark in our history. The upcoming President and VP will imitate the same, Newars will take oath in Newari, Sherpas, Tamang will do the same. If you allow this incident to go without a strict action, then the future presidents have this incident as an excuse. We're tainted from now onward. The new constitution should have this criteria as No#1>>>>"The national language of Nepal is Nepali and the elected official should be able to communicate at least in public in Nepali."
Or else there will never be an end to ethnic rivalry.