The invitation was simply a formal invitation for state guests to dinner, as given at the G-20 Summit, but this time it was unusual: not the usual invite of the “President of India” to a big banquet on Saturday, but the “President of Bharat”.

The President of India is called Draupadi Murmu and, similar to the Federal President in Germany, has more representative functions. This is why many observers of the summit are now surprised by the choice of a new name. Bharat is actually not a new name for India, but a very old name.

Bharat is the Sanskrit name for India, originating from early Hindu texts. It is mainly used by Hindus. This term can be found throughout the country, for example in company names or as an abbreviation for party names. This is common among around 1.4 billion Indians. But perhaps not for state guests, from Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz to US President Joe Biden.

BJP MPs consider name India ‘symbol of slavery’

Are Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government making changes to clarify their policies? BJP MPs ultimately argued that the name India was introduced by British colonial rulers and was a “symbol of slavery”.

“Another blow to the slavery mentality,” tweeted Uttarakhand state Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, a BJP hardliner, on X – formerly Twitter – about the president’s dinner invitation. The British ruled India for about 200 years until the country gained independence in 1947. However, the current name for the region of South Asia and the name of the Indus river were already used by the Greeks, Romans and Persians. Hindu and Hindi names also originate from here.

Modi and his party have long been accused of wanting to turn secular India into an ethnic Hindu state. The BJP is trying to erase names associated with India’s Mughal and colonial past and replace them with new, or better yet, old names. The government says the name change is an effort to honor India’s Hindu past. Several streets and squares have been renamed and rededicated based on this principle.

The opposition continues to stick to the name “India”.

There is now speculation that the government plans to submit a formal proposal to rename the country at the next parliamentary session from September 18 to 22.

But opposition parties in India have criticized the process. Shashi Tharoor, a lawmaker from the opposition Congress party, tweeted that Indians should “continue to use both words rather than give up our claim to a historic name recognized worldwide.”

There will be elections in India next year, and the dispute over the name “India” or “Bharat” could become even more important. Also because the traditional Congress party has rallied most of the fragmented opposition behind it to take on the popular Narendra Modi and his BJP. The opposition alliance named itself “Indian National Development Inclusive Alliance” – abbreviated: INDIA.