Hindi Controversy in Nepal

LEDE: FOR SEVEN CONSECUTIVE DAYS A RAGING ROW OVER LANGUAGE DISTURBED THE PUBLIC LIFE IN NEPAL . THE CONTROVERSY STARTED WHEN ITS NEWLY ELECTED VICE PRESIDENT TOOK HIS OATH OF OFFICE IN HINDI, ITS NEIGHBOUR INDIA'S OFFICIAL LANGUAGE. THE PROTESTS THAT BEGAN LAST WEEK, ONCE AGAIN BROUGHT UP THE CENTURIES OLD TENSIONS BETWEEN THE PEOPLE OF THE HILL REGIONS AND THE SOUTHEN PLAINS. FSRN'S PC DUBEY REPORTS.

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"I Pramanand Jha swear in the name of God to protect the sovereignty and integrity of Nepal."

THIS OATH OF OFFICE BY NEPAL'S NEW VICE PRESIDENT IN HINDI WHIPPED UP A POLITICAL TURMOIL IN NEPAL... YOUTH GROUPS OF MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES ACCUSED VICE PRESIDENT PRAMANAND JHA AS ANTI-NATIONAL AND EVEN, AN AGENT OF INDIA!

They burnt Vice President's effigies, clashed with police and ransacked vehicles IN ALL CORNERS OF THE COUNTRY.

Sound of the slogans of the protesters against Vice President Jha (in Nepali ) -

"India's agent, quit the chair; India's agent, quit the chair."

Ritu Raj, a Maoist youth activist THINKS THE VICE PRESIDENT SHOULDN'T HAVE USED THE NATIONAL TONGUE OF ITS NEIGHBOR INDIA OVER THE DOMESTIC NEPALI LANGUAGES.

Ritu Raj (in English)

"Nepali is our national language. But Nepal recognizes other indigenous languages like Maithili, Vojpuri and Awadhi which Madhesi people speak in southern Nepal as the country's languages. There would have been no problem if Jha had taken oath in any of these indigenous languages."

According to Ritu Raj, VICE PRESIDENT'S OATH IN HINDI IS THREATENING TO NEPAL'S national interests and integrity.

Ritu Raj (in English)

"Jha actually should be voted out of the office by the Constituent Assembly. This would send a clear message to India's puppets in the garb of Nepal's citizens that the Nepalese people would never accept them."

THE ROW OVER LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN NEPAL IS CENTURIES OLD. OVER 250 YEARS, THE MAJORITY HILL PEOPLE CHERISHED THEIR NEAPLI ROOTS, OFTEN BORDERING HEGIMONY FOR THE PEOPLE AT THE PLAINS, WHO WERE SETTLERS FROM INDIA AND SPOKE LANGUAGES LIKE BHOJPURI, MAITHALI, AVADHI, AND HINDI.

Kamlesh Pathak, A POLITICAL ANALYST FROM THE PLAINS, MADHESI, THINKS THE CURRENT ROW OVER THE VICE PRESIDENT'S OATH IS THE EVIDENCE FOR THE DOMINANCE OF THE HILL PEOPLE OVER PEOPLE LIKE HIM.

Kamlesh Pathak (in Hindi)

"THE HILLTRACT PEOPLE, OR PahadiS are not ready to ACCEPT THE LEADERSHIP OF MadhesiS, PEOPLE FROM PLAINS. For past 250 years the Madhesi community has remained a political untouchable in the country. BUT, the scenario has changed now. The Pahadi leadership has failed to STOP it. But they are not PREPARED FOR THE CHANGE and have resorted to protests and violence on an irrational issue as to why Vice president took oath in Hindi."

THE NEW VICE PRESIDENT JHA IS A FORMER SUPREME COURT JUDGE. HE LATER JOINED A MAIN POLITICAL PARTY FROM THE PLAINS, Madhesi Janadhikar Forum, AND LAST MONTH WON A FOUR-CORNER FIGHT TO BECOME THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNTRY.

POLITICAL ANALYSTS FROM PLAINS LIKE PATHAK WHO ARE SUPPORTIVE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT'S OATH IN HINDI ARGUE MAOISTS ARE INTOLERENT TOWARDS HINDI.

Kamlesh Pathak (in Hindi)

"Actually. Hindi is the inalienable part of the culture of Madhesis.. Nepali language also enjoys status of the Indian language in hill regions like Darjeeling of India. The culture of the people of the regions is Nepali. They speak the Nepali language. So is it not preposterous to whip up such turmoil over Hindi which is also a cultural-geographical language of Nepal ?"

THE PLAINS POLITICIANS REMAIN SUPPORTIVE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT. Upendra Yadav, LEADER OF MADHESI PEOPLE'S FORUM…

Upendra Yadav (in Nepali)

"Hindi is also our language. Hindi is dear to our Madhesi people as Nepali is dear to the Pahadi people."

BUT, Abhay Kumar Jha, a Madhesi political activist of Vice President Jha's ethnic community which speaks indigenous Maithili language, said that the Vice president should have avoided controversy by taking oath either in Nepali or Maithili. But he also felt that the oath in Hindi was in no way an affront to the national honor.

Abhay Kumar Jha (in Maithili) – 07 seconds.
"Vice president has committed a minor error. Nepali would have been better. But it has not uprooted the Himalaya. After all, half of the Nepalese population practically speaks Hindi."

MEANWHILE, ON WEDNESDAY, VICE PRESIDENT JHA APOLOGISED IN A STATEMENT. WITH HIS REGRETS, THE CONTROVERSY HAS ENDED AT LEAST FOR NOW. BUT THE SUBLIME DRIFT AND DEBATE OVER LANGUAGE IS HERE TO CONTINUE….

From Birganj, IN THE PLAINS in Nepal I am PC Dubey for FSRN."