Should India soon disappear?

It seems that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to drop the name of his country and replace it with “Bharat”.

An official letter from President Draupadi Murmu to G20 participants reveals just that: there he invited heads of state and government to a state banquet as “President of Bharat”.

As reported by TV channel News18, citing government officials, lawmakers from Modi’s ruling party are also preparing a resolution against the designation “Bharat”. prefer India. The government has convened a special session of parliament at the end of this month, but has so far kept a low profile on the plan.

The name “Bharat” comes from an ancient Hindu scripture written in Sanskrit. It is one of the country’s two official constitutional provisions. Members of the ruling Hindu nationalist party, the BJP, have previously opposed the use of the more familiar Indian name, which has roots in Western antiquity and was introduced in the British colonial era.

Although Modi’s BJP members supported the project, opposition politicians reacted angrily. “I hope the government isn’t so stupid as to give up ‘India’ altogether,” said Shashi Tharoor of the opposition Congress Party on online service X, formerly Twitter. Rather than relinquishing the “claim to historic name” that is recognized around the world, “both names should continue to be used”.

On the other hand, former cricketer Virender Sehwag welcomes the prospect of a possible name change for his country. India is a name given “by the British,” he explained. Changes in “Bharat” were “long overdue”. He asked the national cricket federation to print “Bharat” on the national shirt as well.

In its pursuit of emancipation from British colonialism, the Modi government has long sought to erase symbols of colonial rule from Indian history books, urban landscapes and institutions. Recently, he announced a criminal law reform. A possible change of country name could be the most impactful move so far.

(afp/cbu)