The Indian newspaper India Today said that the government may table a decision to rename India as “Bharat” during the next special session of Parliament scheduled to be held from September 18 to 22, as the Constitution of India currently refers to the country as “India,” but there is a growing call to amend this. To simply "bharat".
The demand to rename India as Bharat through amending the constitution has intensified, and sources said that Parliament may submit an official resolution to change the name of the country.
According to the report, a number of prominent political figures expressed their support for this decision and had previously said in public calls for people to use the term “Bharat” instead of India, stressing that this name is what the country has been known for centuries.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed a similar view. On August 15, 2022, from the ramparts of the Red Fort, he appealed to citizens to take five pledges, one of which was to be free from every trace of slavery. This was seen as a symbolic gesture towards embracing the country's indigenous identity.
It is noteworthy that the private plane used to transport the President, Vice President and Prime Minister has the name “Bharat” written on it.
During the recently concluded monsoon session of Parliament, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Bansal demanded the removal of the word "India" from the Constitution, arguing that it symbolizes colonial slavery. Fellow BJP MP Harnath Singh Yadav echoed the same, calling for a constitutional amendment to replace the word "India" with the word "Bharat".
As Parliament's special session begins on September 18, there is speculation that a Constitution Amendment Bill may be introduced to effect this change. Advocates of the name change believe that having a single indigenous name for the country will instill a sense of national pride and enhance the country's rich cultural heritage.
Meanwhile, an official dinner invitation for G20 delegates appeared from Rashtrapati Bhawan on Tuesday. The invitation had 'President of Bharat' written on it instead of the usual 'President of India'.
