Speculations started of renaming India to ‘Bharat’ after official invite for G20 dinner went viral

Growing speculations suggest Indian administration is ready to change the country’s name from ‘India’ to ‘Bharat’. Official invites sent by Indian President Draupadi Murmu for a dinner on the time of G20 summit and addressing herself as a president of ‘Bharat’, caught everybody’s eyes. Simultaneously, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra shared official information regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Indonesia in which he has been referred to as the ‘Prime Minister of Bharat’. His attendance is due at the ASEAN – Indian Summit and the East Asia Summit in Indonesia. Will the country really change its name? According to the information, administration has announced five days special parliamentary session, later this month. Without revealing any specific agenda, the controversy is suggestive.
However, opposition in the country has disapproved the idea. Lawmaker for the Indian National Congress, Shashi Tharoor through a post on X platform shared his opinion with all. ‘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 continue to use both words rather than relinquish our claim to a name redolent of history, a name that is recognized around the world’, he said. Whereas top opposition leader Mamta Banerjee said, ‘We all say ‘Bharat’, What is new in this? But the name ‘India’ is known to the world. What happened suddenly that the government had to change the name of the country?’
Political expert, Mukesh Chaturvedi said it is like rebranding a product all over again. ‘Both the names have existed. India in English language whereas Bharat in Hindi language. We are all familiar with the name and the history these names hold behind. But India has been named India in various international invites, in constitution, global platforms, conferences, basically everywhere. So, renaming it and bringing it to the effect would be a time taking process for everybody including globally’, he said. As per the information, name ‘India’ comes from the Indus river, when travellers from far away as Greece identified southeast area of the river as India, before Alexander the Great came to India around 3rd century BCE. But the history behind ‘Bharat’ is way more prehistoric, as per ancient Indian scriptures. The name has socio-cultural meaning rather than geographical.
How Indians will acknowledge such a major change? Mr. Chaturvedi said it will certainly take time but patriotism will play a vital role. He told EAT news, ‘There have been renaming of streets, cities under current administration and people are noticing it. The administration had not faced any protest regrading it in past so the consequences are not going to be physical. Yes, mentally its going to be unusual because changing form text books, schools, colleges, workplaces, everywhere. But we are also known for our patriotism around the world. Bharat has the emotional connect with every Indians and especially Hindus. It will be bewildering before, but will settle down with time’.
Bhartiya Janta Party already has renamed number of streets and cities that wee linked to Mughal and colonial era. For instance, Mughal Garden at Presidential place is now called ‘Amrit Udyan’. Evident efforts by administration to erase Mughal and colonial ruling marks from the country.
Statements from BJP leaders are also coming after opposition’s comment. A BJP member of parliament Naresh Bansal said the name ‘India’ is a symbol of colonial slavery and should be removed from the constitution. He said, ‘The British changed Bharat’s name to India. Our country has been known by the name ‘Bharat’ for thousands of years. The name ‘India’ was given by the colonial raj and is thus a symbol of slavery’, Al Jazeera reported. BJP’s official page posted on X, ‘India, that is Bharat….’ it is there in constitution. When you say ‘Bharat’, a meaning, an understanding and a connotation that comes with it is also reflected in our Constitution.’
Meanwhile Information Minister Anurag Thakur have dismissed the rumor of changing the name and called it an attempt by opposition. But will it really help India on different scales? Mr. Chaturvedi believes it surely demands high cost. He said, ‘It is something we can’t speculate at present. We have to wait for the action first. Because not many countries have done it in past. We have an example of eSwatini, earlier Swaziland, a country in southern Africa. It is assumed that for about $6m was spent to change its name. Because it does not happen overnight. It requires name change in official papers, landmarks, streets and all possible national documents.’
Well, it is not clear, whether the administration will take this historic step in the middle of country’s growing economy, alliances with west countries and elevating global reputation.