President of India: Government’s G20 invite from ‘Bharat’ sparks row

A security personnel stands guard near the G20 venue ahead of its commencement in New Delhi on September 4, 2023. (Photo by Money SHARMA / AFP) (Photo by MONEY SHARMA/AFP via shabby graphics)shabby graphics

After Prime Minister Modi, Narendra’s government used the term” Bharat” in an official invitation to the G20 Summit that was sent on behalf of the president, a controversy erupted in India.

India is known in Hindi as Bharat.

President Droupadi Murmu refers to her as the” President of Bharat” in the breakfast invitation he sent to the summit’s foreign leaders.

The walk was supported by a number of officials from the ruling BJP group, but opposition leaders questioned its motivations.

The decision comes in the midst of rumors that the government is considering actually changing the nation’s name to Bharat, but this has not yet been confirmed.

Ms. Murmu is still referred to as the President of India on X ( previously Twitter ) and all official websites in India still use the phrase” government of india.”

The use of Bharat in the invitation, however, comes just two days after Mohan Bhagwat, the leader of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh( RSS ), the BJP’s ideological compass, suggested that the nation be referred to as India instead.

” We occasionally use India so that people who speak English will comprehend. But we have to give up on this. No matter where you go in the world, the name of the nation Bharat may always refer to it, according to Mr. Bhagwat.

Some BJP politicians praised the action on Tuesday, describing it as a happy moment for the nation.

Himanta Biswa Sarma, the chief minister of Assam position, tweeted,” Happy and proud that our civilization is marching forward boldly towards Amrit Kaal.”

The prime minister and other government officials refer to the years leading up to 2047, when India will turn 100, as Amrit Kaal, which loosely translates as the” golden era.” By then, according to reports, India will be one of the most advanced and rich countries in the world.

Opposition leaders responded angrily to the remarks by connecting them to their newly formed alliance, known as INDIA, an abbreviation for the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance.

Manoj Jha, the head of the Rashtriya Janata Dal party in the state of Bihar, tweeted,” It has only been a few weeks since we named our ally as INDIA and BJP has started sending offers with’ Republic of Bharat’ rather of’ Republic of India.”

He continued,” Neither Bharat nor India may be taken from us by you.”

The state has previously used Bharat in connection with the G20. According to BBC’s legal editor Umang Poddar, the phrase has also been used for international members in a manual titled Bharat, The Mother of Democracy.

India is also referred to as Bharat in the Indian Constitution, though only once; Article 1 states that” India, it is Bhart, may be a Union of States.”

However, the nation is referred to as India everywhere else in the organisation.

Supreme Court cases have previously been brought to include India’s name changed to Bharat. However, the judges have refrained from getting involved in the debate and have once requested that the applicant contact the authorities.

A few magistrates have made dental comments about the discussion, but they are unenforceable.

Former Chief Justice of India Sharad Bobde again said,” India is now referred to as Bharat in the law.” It was up to the people to decide whether they wanted to call it India or Bharat, according to another former chief justice TS Thakur.

India is hosting the G20 summit this year, which will take place from September 9 to 10 in the nation’s money, Delhi.

Along with the European Union, the G20 includes the 19 richest nations in the world. The G20 administration, which is now held by India, is rotated yearly.