Speculation ran rampant in India on Tuesday, September 5, about potential intentions to abandon the official use of the country’s English name. “Bharat” refers to India, a term rooted in ancient Hindu scriptures written in Sanskrit and recognized as one of the country’s official names in its constitution.
India was buzzing with speculation Tuesday over rumored plans to scrap official usage of the country’s English name, after a state-issued invite sent to world leaders referred to it as “Bharat”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has worked to remove lingering symbols of British rule from India’s urban landscape, political institutions and history books, but its next move could be the biggest such action yet.
Modi himself typically refers to India as “Bharat”, a word dating back to ancient Hindu scriptures written in Sanskrit, and one of two official names for the country under its constitution.
Members of his Hindu-nationalist ruling party have previously campaigned against using the country’s better-known moniker, India, which has its roots in Western antiquity and was imposed during the British conquest.
This weekend India hosts the G20 summit of world leaders, capped with a state dinner that invitation cards said would be hosted by the “President of Bharat”.
The government has called a special session of parliament for later in the month while remaining tight-lipped about its legislative agenda.
But broadcaster News18 said unnamed government sources had told it that BJP lawmakers would put forward a special resolution to give precedence to the name “Bharat”.
Rumors of the plan were enough to spark a mix of opposition lawmakers and enthusiastic support from other quarters.
Modi’s government has also removed Islamic place names imposed during the Mughal empire that preceded British rule, a move critics say is emblematic of a desire to assert the supremacy of India’s majority Hindu religion.
Khalil Wakim, with AFP
