On Tuesday, India was abuzz with hypotheses about rumored plans to discontinue official use of the country’s English name after a state-issued invitation extended to foreign leaders referred to it as “Bharat.”
The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has tried to remove lingering reminders of British control from India’s urban landscape, political institutions, and history books, but its next move could be the most significant yet.
India To Change Its Name To Bharat
Modi frequently refers to India as “Bharat,” a term that dates back to ancient Hindu texts written in Sanskrit and is one of the country’s two official titles under its constitution.
Members of his Hindu-nationalist ruling party have previously campaigned against adopting the country’s more familiar name, India, which dates back to Western antiquity and was enforced during the British occupation.
This weekend, India will host the G20 summit of world leaders, which will conclude with a state supper hosted by the “President of Bharat,” according to invitations.
The government has summoned a special session of parliament for later this month, but has not revealed its legislative agenda.
BJP Move
Unnamed government sources told News18 that Bharatiya Janata Party parliamentarians would introduce a special resolution to give the name “Bharat” primacy.
Rumors of the idea sparked a mix of opposing MPs and enthusiastic support from others.
“I hope the government will not be so foolish as to completely dispense with ‘India’,” Shashi Tharoor of the opposition Congress party said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“We should continue to use both words rather than relinquish our claim to a name redolent of history, a name that is recognized around the world.”
While there is no constitutional objection to calling India “Bharat”, which is one of the country’s two official names, I hope the government will not be so foolish as to completely dispense with “India”, which has incalculable brand value built up over centuries. We should… pic.twitter.com/V6ucaIfWqj
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) September 5, 2023
For decades, several governments have attempted to erase remnants of the British colonial era by renaming roads and even entire cities.
To Get Rid Of From Colonial Mindset
The trend has accelerated under Modi’s leadership, which has emphasized the need to discard signs of a “colonial mindset” in public statements.
His administration restored the parliamentary precinct in New Delhi, which was initially designed by the British, to replace colonial-era structures.
Modi’s government has also erased Islamic place names placed during the Mughal empire that preceded British control, a move critics say demonstrates a drive to emphasize Hindu primacy in the country.
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