Kerala CM Reminds Of National Pledge In Schools, Amid ‘India Or Bharat’ Controversy

In the midst of the debate about renaming India as Bharat, Kerala’s chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan stated on Wednesday that any attempt to change the name ‘India’ is unconstitutional and disregards the nation as a whole.

President of Bharat

The incident started when President Droupadi Murmu’s invitation to a G20 dinner referred to her as the “President of Bharat” rather than the traditional “President of India,” which sparked an outcry from the opposition parties. Later, BJP spokesman Sambit Patra revealed formal details on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trip to Indonesia in a post on the social media platform X, referring to him as the “Prime Minister of Bharat.” Days before to the controversy, Mohan Bhagwat, the leader of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), presented a compelling argument for adopting Bharat rather than India.

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In a statement, CM Vijayan remarked, “The Constitution itself refers to our country as ‘India that is Bharat.'” Similar to this, the Constitution’s prologue starts with the phrase “We the people of India.” The Centre is currently aiming to get the word “India” removed through a constitutional change.

Dread over the name India

A member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI(M) stated that the action was part of attempts to undermine the nation’s diversity and encouraged the populace to oppose such actions.

Why is there such hatred and dread for the name ‘India’? Even the spirit instilled in young people by the Pledge—”India is my country; all Indians are my brothers and sisters”—is being intentionally eradicated, according to him.

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“Political actions should never be at odds with the principles that underpin our country. The Chief Minister (CM) urged the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Centre to stop allegedly trying to change the nation’s name, calling it an undemocratic and unlawful action.