Renaming Controversy: India To Bharat – 10 Key Points Explained

The use of ‘President of Bharat’ instead of the traditional ‘President of India’ on official G20 Summit invitations has stirred up a significant debate. This development comes just ahead of a special parliamentary session, fueling political tensions. Here are the key updates on this issue:

1. Bharat’ in G20 Booklet: The term “Bharat” has also been employed in a G20 booklet intended for foreign delegates titled “Bharat, The Mother Of Democracy.” The booklet argues that ‘Bharat’ is the official name of the country, as mentioned in the Constitution and discussions dating back to 1946-48.

2. International Nomenclature Shift: This alteration signifies a noteworthy shift in nomenclature on the international stage, especially as India prepares to host prominent world leaders, including US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

3. ‘Prime Minister of Bharat’: BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra shared a document referring to the Prime Minister as the “Prime Minister of Bharat” during his visit to Indonesia.

4. Potential Name Change: Sources suggest that the government may propose a resolution to change the country’s name later this month during a five-day special parliamentary session commencing on September 18. The lack of a formal agenda for this session has contributed to speculation.

5. Opposition Critique: The move has faced strong criticism from the Opposition, with members of the Opposition INDIA bloc accusing the Narendra Modi government of distorting history and sowing division. Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge has called a meeting of senior alliance leaders to discuss this matter.

6. Alliance Linkage: Opposition leader AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal questioned whether the ruling party would change the country’s name to ‘BJP’ if the opposition alliance decided to adopt the name ‘Bharat.’

7. Name Change Rights: Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar emphasized that no one should have the right to change the country’s name and questioned the ruling party’s concern over a name related to the country.

8. BJP Support: BJP leaders have welcomed the use of ‘Bharat’ in nomenclature and accused the Opposition of being anti-national and anti-constitutional. They argue that the term “Bharat” is also present in Article 1 of the Constitution.

9. Anti-Colonial Statement: Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan asserted that using ‘Bharat’ is a significant statement against the colonial mindset and should have happened earlier.

10. RSS Chief’s Remark: The controversy arose shortly after the chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the BJP’s ideological mentor, suggested that the country should stop using ‘India’ and start using ‘Bharat’ in spoken and written discourse.

This debate over the country’s name reflects ongoing discussions and political divisions concerning India’s identity and historical significance.