Why Modi Is Using ‘Bharat’ Instead of India and What It Means

(Bloomberg) -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to replace the word India with an ancient Sanskrit name in invitations to a Group of 20 dinner has triggered raucous debate. Speculation is the premier could officially rebrand the country, and everyone from the political opposition to the common citizen is weighing in.

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Why would Modi want to use Bharat?

Since being elected in 2014, Modi and his government have worked to erase several reminders of colonial or Mughal rule, oftentimes instigating the change and sometimes buckling to demands from the party’s Hindu nationalist base. The trigger for the renewed push could also be that India is the name of an alliance formed by several opposition parties in July to challenge Modi and his party in national elections due next year.

Has Bharat been used anywhere else?

Bharat is one of the two names of the country along with India as laid down in Article 1 of the constitution. It features prominently on institutional names, insignia and symbols right from the passport to currency notes, and many citizens colloquially refer to the nation as Bharat when speaking in Hindi. It features in several popular movies and songs. The names can be used interchangeably, the Supreme Court had noted in 2016.

What is the origin of Bharat?

The origin of the word has been attributed to various sources within India’s long history. It could have been derived from the Sanskrit word, Bharata, which means fire, or have descended from the Indian king, Bharata, who is featured in Hindu mythology as an ancestor of the Hindu race. The name Bharatvarsha, or the realm of Bharat, is mentioned in ancient texts as well.

India derives from the Sanskrit word Sindhu meaning river, which Arab and Greek conquerors amended to Hind and then India. The name gained prominence when the British took over the administration of the country.

Could India officially change its name?

The very first provision in the Indian Constitution — Article 1 — lays down the two official names for the country as “India, that is Bharat.” The country’s name can be changed, or one of the two given names can be omitted completely from this provision by way of a constitutional amendment. Such an amendment would need a two-third majority in the lower and upper houses of parliament.

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