Bharat or India
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Is India going to be renamed?
There is a lot of speculation around this question many believe India could soon become Bharat why all of a sudden?
Reason Behind Speculation –
As New Delhi prepares to welcome world leaders for the G20 summit, speculation arises due to the invitation sent out to delegates from the world’s top 20 economies for a dinner by President Draupadi Murmu. The main reason for this speculation is that the invitation says “President of Bharat,” a departure from the usual “President of India.”
Both India and Bharat are used officially in the nation of 1.4 billion people, which boasts more than 20 official languages. However, the use of “Bharat” on the invites marks a notable change in the naming convention used by the country on the international stage under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
India’s Minister of External Affairs, S. Jaishankar, stated, “India is Bharat. It is there in the constitution. I would invite everybody to read it.” When you say Bharat, it evokes a sense, a meaning, and a connotation, he said.
The Constitution of India –
In Article 1 of the Indian Constitution, it is stated that India, or Bharat, is a union of states. Legal scholars are divided on whether these names are interchangeable. Some argue that if India, or Bharat, is described as a union of states, both names should be interchangeable.
However, others point to other articles of the Constitution to support a distinction. For instance, Article 77 specifically refers to the government of India, not Bharat. Similarly, Article 52 mentions the President of India, not Bharat. This divergence in terminology within the Constitution has sparked debates among legal scholars about the interchangeability of the names India and Bharat.
Where does India come from, where does Bharat come from?
BHARAT:
Well Bharat dates back to puranic literature with different versions of it like Bharat or Bharat-Varsh even the Hindu epic Mahabharata mentions it Mahabharata. Bharat is defined as a land between the Sea and the snowy mountains, sort of fits India’s geography the Himalayas in the north the Indian Ocean in the south.
INDIA:
The origin of India traces back to Sindhu, a Sanskrit term for the river Indus. The Persians modified Sindhu to Hindu, and the Greeks, borrowing from the Persians, further adapted it to Indus. By the third century, the region south of the river Indus became known as India.
Upon gaining independence in 1947, the framers of India’s constitution debated the nation’s name. Some advocated for Bharat instead of India, but ultimately, all alternative ideas were dismissed, leading to the adoption of the current name, India.
Adding an interesting twist to this historical narrative is a recent political context. In July of this year, around 26 opposition parties in India announced a new coalition named INDIA. The acronym stands for the Indian National Development Developmental Inclusive Alliance. While these parties oppose the name change, asserting it’s a political move rather than a policy matter, government supporters argue that it’s about shedding India’s colonial roots and reclaiming its past.
If this change materializes, it won’t be the first instance of a country officially altering its name. Such changes, often influenced by politics, nationalism, or branding factors, have a significant impact on how the world perceives and remembers these nations.
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Turkiye – Turkey
To more accurately reflect the nation’s vibrant culture, values, and civilisation on a worldwide scale, president Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey officially changed the name of the country from Turkey to Turkiye.
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Czechia – Czech Republic
The Czech Republic changed its name to Czechia in April 2016. The need for simplicity led to this adjustment, which would make it simpler for the country to be acknowledged in sporting events and international marketing campaigns.
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Eswatini – Swaziland
Eswatini, which translates to “The Land of Swazis,” is the new name of the African country Swaziland.
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The Netherlands – Holland
In January 2020, Holland changed their name to The Netherlands, this action reflects the country’s desire to portray itself as an open, creative, and welcoming one.
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Republic of North Macedonia – Macedonia
To distinguish itself from Greece, which also has a territory called Macedonia, and to apply for NATO membership the Republic of Macedonia changed its name to the Republic of North Macedonia in February 2019.
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Sri Lanka – Ceylon
In order to declare its independence and do rid of any historical reminders of Portuguese and British rule, Sri Lanka dropped the colonial name Ceylon in 2011.
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Ireland – Irish Free State
Ireland changed its name to Ireland and ratified a new constitution in 1937, making it a republic.
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Republic of Cabo Verde – Cape Verde
Cape Verde adopted the full Portuguese spelling Republic of Cabo Verde in 2013 to honour its official language and remove linguistic inconsistencies.
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Thailand – Siam
Sanskrit-based Siam was superseded by Thailand in 1939, briefly returned to Siam between 1946 and 1948, and finally assumed the official name of the Kingdom of Thailand, which it still uses today.
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Myanmar – Burma
Myanmar became the nation’s official name in 1989, replacing Burma.
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Cambodia
Cambodia has had several different names over the years, including the Khmer Republic, Democratic Kampuchea, State of Cambodia, and the Kingdom of Cambodia.
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Democratic Republic of Congo
From Congo Free State to Belgian Congo, Congo-Leopoldville, Republic of Congo, Republic of Zaire, and eventually the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1997, the name of the country has undergone a number of modifications.
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Iran – Persia
In 1935, Iran changed its name from Persia, which changed how the nation and its people were referred to.
That’s it for now.
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