S Jaishankar, India’s External Affairs Minister, weighed in on the simmering ‘India-Bharat’ dispute, saying Bharat has a connotation that is reflected in the Indian Constitution.
The Rashtrapati Bhawan sending out invites to G20 luncheon on September 9 on behalf of the ‘President of Bharat’ rather than the ‘President of India’ fueled speculation that the country’s English name might be dropped.
With the government remaining tight-lipped about its legislative agenda for the special session of Parliament called later this month, several reports claimed that BJP MPs would introduce a special resolution to give precedence to the name “Bharat,” eliciting both opposition and enthusiastic support.
“India that is Bharat, it is there in the Constitution. Please, I would invite everybody to read it,” Jaishankar said.
The minister was asked about the opposition parties’ reactions and whether the administration plans to rebrand India as Bharat in conjunction with the G20 Summit. “Look when you say Bharat in a sense, a meaning and understanding and a connotation that comes with it and that is reflected in our Constitution as well,” Jaishankar said.
In Indian languages, India is also known as Bharat and Hindustan, its pre-colonial designations, and they are used interchangeably by the public and officials.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has sought over the years to eliminate remaining traces of British control by replacing colonial names in order to assist India move beyond a slave mindset.
Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi stated that his party is committed to fighting for both India and Bharat, whereas the BJP has prioritized India over Bharat. He claimed that the BJP looks reluctant to accept that the INDIA alliance has earned popular support, and that a growing enmity has emerged inside the BJP ranks as a result of the INDIA alliance’s development.
“BJP is constantly trying to deflect attention from important issues of inflation, unemployment, a probe against Adani, China, Ladakh, J-K and Manipur. We are working for India and Bharat, while BJP is working for India vs Bharat,” he added.