Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has sparked speculation about a potential official name change for India after substituting the word “India” with the Sanskrit term “Bharat” in dinner invitations sent to attendees of this year’s Group of 20 (G20) summit.
The invitation extended to G20 participants notably referred to Droupadi Murmu as the “President of Bharat” instead of the “President of India.”
India is the host nation for the annual G20 summit, scheduled to take place in New Delhi over the weekend, with prominent global leaders like US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron set to attend.
India, home to more than 1.4 billion people, officially bears two names, “India” and “Bharat.”
However, “India” is the more prevalent term used both within the country and internationally. “Hindustan” is another colloquial term used to describe the nation, especially in literature and popular culture.
The term “Bharat” is an ancient Sanskrit word, with many historians tracing its origins back to early Hindu texts. It also serves as a Hindi synonym for “India.”
Officials from Modi’s right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have voiced their support for this nomenclature shift.
They argue that the term “India” was introduced by British colonial rulers and symbolizes a period of subjugation. India was under British colonial rule for nearly two centuries until gaining independence in 1947.
The BJP has consistently sought to eliminate names associated with India’s Mughal and colonial past. Critics contend that the government is pursuing a nationalist agenda aimed at reshaping a constitutionally secular India into an ethnically Hindu state.
Past renaming efforts in India have included changing New Delhi’s iconic Aurangzeb Road to Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Road in 2015, following protests from Modi’s party leaders. Last year, the government also renamed a colonial-era avenue in the heart of New Delhi, frequently used for ceremonial military parades.
Modi’s government argues that these name changes are part of an initiative to reclaim India’s Hindu heritage.
While some BJP officials welcomed this move, India’s opposition parties criticized it. Jairam Ramesh, a leader of the main opposition party, the Indian National Congress, expressed concerns on Twitter, viewing it as an assault on India’s identity.
“It is a proud moment for every Indian to have ‘The President of Bharat’ written on the invitation card for the dinner to be held at Rashtrapati Bhavan during the G20 Summit,” tweets Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami pic.twitter.com/kXVVYbPQ7B
— ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2023
Congress legislator Shashi Tharoor advocated for retaining both “India” and “Bharat,” emphasizing their respective historical significance and international recognition.
The debate over “India” versus “Bharat” has intensified since opposition parties formed an alliance, the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), with the goal of unseating Modi’s government in the 2024 national elections. Some officials within Modi’s party have since demanded the exclusive use of “Bharat” as the country’s name.
Reports from Indian media sources suggest that the government may introduce a resolution advocating for the exclusive use of “Bharat” during a special parliamentary session this month, further fueling the debate over the nation’s name.
The controversy over India’s name change reflects the ongoing struggle between preserving historical identity and the pursuit of political and cultural transformations in the country.