The government of India has substituted the word ‘India’ with its historical name ‘Bharat’ on the dinner invitation extended to G20 guests.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration has substituted the term India with a Sanskrit word on dinner invitations distributed to attendees of the upcoming Group of 20 summit. This action aligns with his Hindu nationalist party’s objective of eradicating names associated with the colonial era.
The invitation sent to G20 attendees refers to Indian President Droupadi Murmu as the “President of Bharat” rather than the “President of India”. India, a nation with over 1.4 billion people, is officially recognized by two names, India and Bharat. However, the term India is more widely used both within the country and globally.
Bharat is an ancient Sanskrit word which many historians believe dates back to early Hindu texts. The word also means India in Hindi.
The change in nomenclature is backed by officials of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party. They argue that the name India was introduced by British colonials and is a “symbol of slavery.” The British ruled India for about 200 years until the country gained independence in 1947.
“I cannot reword.”
Modi’s political party has made consistent efforts to eliminate references associated with India’s historical periods of Mughal rule and colonialism.
In 2015, the renowned Aurangzeb Road in New Delhi, which was originally named after a Mughal king, was renamed Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Road due to protests from leaders of Modi’s party. Similarly, last year, the government decided to change the name of a colonial-era avenue located in the center of New Delhi, which is traditionally utilized for ceremonial military parades.
The government of Modi claims that the name alterations are an attempt to regain India’s Hindu history.
The move received criticism from opposition parties in India.
Opposition lawmaker Shashi Tharoor expressed his hope that the government would not disregard the name “India,” which holds significant historical and cultural importance, despite the fact that there is no constitutional issue with referring to the country as “Bharat,” one of its official names. Tharoor emphasized the immense value that the name “India” has garnered over centuries.
Tharoor expressed that Indians should persist in using both terms instead of giving up their right to a name that carries historical significance and is acknowledged globally.
Disputes over “India” versus “Bharat” have gained ground since opposition parties in July announced a new alliance – called INDIA – to unseat Modi and defeat his party ahead of national elections in 2024. The acronym stands for Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance.
Following that, certain members of Modi’s party have requested that the nation be referred to as Bharat rather than India.
