“President of Bharat”: A G20 invitation heats up the controversy over the country’s name in India. The opposition warns that the “India” brand could be damaged.
In India, an invitation to an official G20 dinner has sparked controversy and fueled speculation about the country changing its name.
In the English-language invitation, the hostess, President Draupadi Murmu, was not referred to as “President of India” but as “President of Bharat,” local media reported. “Bharat” is an old Sanskrit word for “India”, which is used as a synonym in the country, for example in the constitution.
Radical Hindus: “India” a symbol of slavery
Some radical Hindus in the country are bothered by the country’s name “India”. They argue that it was introduced by the British colonizers and is therefore a symbol of slavery. Just recently, the head of the Hindu nationalist organization RSS, which is close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling BJP party, demanded that the country’s name be changed from “India” to “Bharat”.
Several ruling party officials welcomed the use of the word in the G20 invitation. Heads of state and government of leading economic powers meet next Saturday in the capital New Delhi for the two-day G20 summit.
Opposition: India has become a brand
The Indian government is currently trying to distance itself from the colonial past and rely on national pride. Opposition politicians, however, questioned the use. The name India is internationally recognized and has become a brand, it said.
Several opposition parties had recently formed a coalition called INDIA (short for Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) to position themselves against the ruling party. Modi has been Prime Minister of India since 2014. A new parliament will be elected in spring 2024. Modi is expected to seek re-election.
Source: Stern
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