Intriguing debates have enveloped India following the issuance of dinner invitations to G20 leaders from the President of “Bharat,” diverging from the customary “President of India” designation. The constitutional framers of India bestowed the nation with two monikers, as articulated in Article 1 of the constitution, referring to “India, that is Bharat.” The echoes of “Bharat” resonated with Jawaharlal Nehru, who, while incarcerated, made profound references to it in his seminal work, “Discovery of India.” Nehru eloquently wove a narrative of “this India of ours,” invoking the venerable names of “Hindustan” and “Bharata,” derived from the mythical progenitor of the Indian race.
Esteemed historian Irfan Habib challenges the notion of “Bharat Mata” as an imported European concept. He asserts that “Bharat” was inscribed in Prakrit script to denote the nation as far back as the first century BC, during the reign of the Kalinga king. Concurrently, Hindu revivalists embraced “Hindustan,” signifying the “land of the Hindus” and an exclusive bastion for the Hindu nation’s prosperity. Guru Golwalkar of the RSS emphatically proclaimed in 1939 that “Hindustan is the terra firma for the Hindu nation alone to flourish upon.” This stance, ironically, alinged with the first Mughal Emperor, Babar, who notably described “Hindustan” as a land with limited allure in his esteemed memoirs.
The recent years have witnessed Prime Minister Narendra Modi fervently championing his ‘Make in India’ industrial policy. Significantly, in 2015, his government submitted an affidavit to the Indian Supreme Court, firmly opposing any alteration of the country’s name from “India” to “Bharat.” This steadfast position raises questions about the current shift.
Speculation abounds that the government’s apprehension is linked to the newly forged collective identity of the opposition, encapsulated in the acronym “INDIA” standing for the “Indian National Inclusive Development Alliance.” This development has ignited concerns within the government’s ranks, particularly with looming general elections slated for May. The evolving nomenclature narrative now dominates the discourse as the nation grapples with its historical and political identity.
