The Indian government appears to be considering a change in the nation’s official name, with “Bharat” – from Sanskrit – emerging as the alternative, even appearing on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s G20 dinner invites for later this month.
The resolution would change the name in the Indian constitution from “India, that is Bharat” to the “Republic of Bharat” and is likely to be introduced in the Indian parliament during the upcoming special session scheduled from September 18-22. The resolution needs to obtain a majority in both houses of the nation’s parliament before the government can amend the constitution.
The decision reflects Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s push to remove ‘every trace of slavery’ from the country. An official G20 dinner invitation for September 9 has already embraced the name, referring to the Indian President as “The President of Bharat.” Modi’s state-sponsored airplane also has “Bharat” on it.
“The entire country is demanding that we should use the word ‘Bharat’ instead of ‘India’… the world ‘India’ is an abuse given to us by the British whereas the word ‘Bharat’ is a symbol of our culture,” argued Indian MP Harnath Singh Yadav.
“At times we use India so those who speak English will understand. But we must stop using this. The name of the country Bharat will remain Bharat wherever you go in the world,” stated the Indian political activist and chief of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Mohan Bhagwan.
The word “Bharat” appears to have multiple meanings, including “to bear” or “to carry’ but also “one who is in search of light/ knowledge”.
