Parmanand Jha

Infobox_Vice President
name = Parmanand Jha
परमानन्द झा


order=1^st
office= Vice President of Nepal
term_start=July 23, 2008
president=Ram Baran Yadav
predecessor=Office created
term_end =
birth_date =
birth_place =
death_date =
death_place =
party = Madhesi Janadhikar Forum

Parmanand Jha ( _ne. परमानन्द झा) is the Vice President of Nepal and a former Supreme Court judge. He hails from Mauwaha VDC-1, Saptari District. [ [http://www.gorkhapatra.org.np/detail.php?article_id=3520&cat_id=5 Gorkhapatra ] ] Jha resigned as a judge in December 2007. He had not been proposed by the Judicial Council as a permanent judge at the apex court, following allegations of involvement in drug smuggling. Jha joined political life, becoming a member of the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum. [http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2008/jul/jul19/news10.php Nepalnews.com, news from Nepal as it happens ] ] On July 19, 2008, Jha was elected vice-president of Nepal by the Constituent Assembly. [ [http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullstory.asp?filename=6a1Wa8seo2am8&folder=aHaoamW&Name=Home&dtSiteDate=20080719 The Himalayan Times: Breaking News, Views, Reviews, Sports, Business, Entertainment from Nepal ] ] Jha had been nominated by the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum. [ [http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=154137 eKantipur.com - Nepal's No.1 News Portal ] ] After the election, Jha vowed that he would work in an independent manner, free from party interests.

Term of Office

He took his tenure on July 23 [ [http://news.aol.com/story/_a/nepals-1st-president-takes-oath-of/n20080723071809990013?ecid=RSS0001 Nepal's 1st president takes oath of office+ - AOL News ] ] after Chief Justice Kedar Prasad Giri administered the oath of office and secrecy to the Ram Baran Yadav first president at the presidential palace, Shital Niwas, Rastrapati Bhawan, 3:45 pm. Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, among others, was also present. Yadav also administered the oath to vice president Parmananda Jha. [ [http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullstory.asp?filename=6a1Wa8wko2am8&folder=aHaoamW&Name=Home&dtSiteDate=20080723 thehimalayantimes.com, Yadav Sworn-in as First President of Nepal] ] [ [http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2008/jul/jul23/news08.php .nepalnews.com, President Yadav, VP Jha sworn in] ] .

Oath in Hindi and Aftermath

He came into controversy after he took the oath of office and secrecy in Hindi [http://www.chinapost.com.tw/asia/other/2008/07/28/167474/New-Nepal.htm New Nepal VP sued for taking oath in Hindi - The China Post ] ] , which is the mother tongue of less than 1% of the Nepalese population [http://www.cbs.gov.np/Nepal%20in%20figure/Nepal%20in%20Figures%202007_nep.pdf] and is the official language of India [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindi] . This led to a widespread agitation throughout the country [http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2008/jul/jul28/news11.php Nepalnews.com, news from Nepal as it happens ] ] [ [http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=154644 eKantipur.com - Nepal's No.1 News Portal ] ] . The media gave a good coverage to this. [www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=139067] [ [http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2008/jul/jul25/news08.php Nepalnews.com, news from Nepal as it happens ] ] [ [http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2008/jul/jul27/news07.php Nepalnews.com, news from Nepal as it happens ] ] Many news sites and blogs were suddenly filled with comments on this issue. The views expressed in the sites were mixed. While many people expressed that the swearing in was unconstitutional , leaders of Jha's party came up with a view that this act was permissible [ [http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2008/jul/jul27/news12.php Nepalnews.com, news from Nepal as it happens ] ] because Hindi language is spoken and widely understood by people in Nepal Fact|date=July 2008.

Writ Petition against Jha

A writ petition was filed by Bal Krishna Neupane at the apex court claiming that the oath was unconstitutional as it was taken in a language not recognised by the interim constitution [ [http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=154753 eKantipur.com - Nepal's No.1 News Portal ] ] . In response to this, the Supreme Court on 28 July 2008 (Monday) asked the government and the Vice President Parmananda Jha to furnish written explanation regarding the oath taken in Hindi [ [http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2008/jul/jul28/news12.php Nepalnews.com, news from Nepal as it happens ] ] [ [http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=155050 eKantipur.com - Nepal's No.1 News Portal ] ]

Jha's Reaction to Agitation

Even after a deadline of 7 days [ [http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=155056 eKantipur.com - Nepal's No.1 News Portal ] ] , V. P. Jha ignored the court's order for his written clarification [ [http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2008/aug/aug06/news16.php Nepalnews.com, news from Nepal as it happens ] ] but he had expressed a regreat [ [http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullstory.asp?filename=6a1Wa9qdo2am8&folder=aHaoamW&Name=Home&dtSiteDate=20080729 The Himalayan Times: Breaking News, Views, Reviews, Sports, Business, Entertainment from Nepal ] ] via a statement clarifying that his taking oath in Hindi language was not to pinch at sentiments of any Nepali citizen and also stated that he has signed the oath paper written in Nepali [ [http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2008/jul/jul29/news10.php Nepalnews.com, news from Nepal as it happens ] ] [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/nepali/news/story/2008/07/080729_surendra29.shtml BBCNepali.com | पहिलो पृष्ठ | उपराष्ट्रपतिद्वारा एकता र सदभाव कायम गर्न अपिल ] ] .

References

External links

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niutmDTWTSI Interview Video: Nationality is not in crisis, says VP Jha]
* [http://blog.com.np/united-we-blog/2008/07/25/mind-your-language-mr-vice-president/ A blog post in a popular Nepal based blog.]
* [http://parmanandjha.blogspot.com A blog entitled "We Love Parmanand Jha"]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYgh-1_8duM Video of oath taking, second half of the video has Jha's oath]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11clBqZzt_4 Protests]