Jakarta – Detikers, do you know that we are talking about India wanting to change its name? Wow, so what do you think it’s called?

The plan is for India to change its name to Bharat. Because this name has been around for a long time.

Quoted detikTravel Indian media, Economic times who quotes TimeNow, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to introduce a resolution changing India’s official name to Bharat in a special session of Parliament. The trial will take place from September 18 to 22, 2023.

This was confirmed by Congress leader Jairam Ramesh. In fact, the name change issue first appeared in an invitation to the official G20 dinner. At that time, the President of India had sent the name in the name of President Bharat and not in the name of the President of India.

“So the news is true,” he said on Thursday (9/7/2023).

“Rashtrapati Bhawan sent an invitation to the G20 dinner on September 9 in the name of the ‘President of Bharat’, not the usual ‘President of India’,” he said, including the name of the President, on page

The decision to change the name reflects efforts by the Hindu nationalist party, now in power, to rid itself of names seen as originating from the colonial era.

In fact, this country of 1.4 billion people is officially known by two names, namely India and Bharat. However, first names are most often used in Switzerland and abroad.

The name Bharat comes from ancient Sanskrit which also means India in Hindi. The term originates from the ancient Sanskrit name for the Indian subcontinent – ​​Bharata Varsha or Bharata Khanda – which is mentioned in ancient Indian texts such as the Mahabharata and the Puranas.

In these texts, Bharat is associated with a legendary king named Bharata, who is said to be the ancestor of the Pandavas, the central figures of the Mahabharata.

Over time, Bharat has become synonymous with the Indian subcontinent and has been used as the name of the country India in various Indian languages.

The name Bharat, being older and rooted in Indian society, is considered more appropriate to use. However, India’s move to Bharat has its pros and cons.

A number of parties believe that although the name India is rooted in colonialism, it has important historical, cultural and geographical significance for the people of the Indian subcontinent.

The name is widely known and accepted internationally and simplifies international communication and relations, thereby facilitating the country’s engagement with the global community.

“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 stupid enough to abandon ‘Bharat’ altogether. India”, which has had a brand value for countless centuries. “, tweeted opposition MP Shashi Tharoor.

Tharoor said Indians should “continue to use both words rather than abandon our claim to a name that has a history, a name that is recognized around the world.”

India’s dispute with Bharat has intensified since opposition parties announced a new alliance – called INDIA – in July to oust Modi and defeat his party before national elections in 2024. The acronym stands for Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (Indian National).

Since then, some officials from Modi’s party have demanded that the country be called Bharat and not India.

This article was published on detikTravel with the title Back to top, India wants to change its name to Bharat

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