By Our Reporter
During the G-20 Summit, India widely floated the slogan of Basudaiva Kutumbakam (One Earth, One Family, One Future). Articles on the topic were published in the name of Indian PM Narendra Modi even in the state-owned dailies Rising Nepal and Gorkhapatra last week.
Does the slogan of Basudaiva Kutumbakam suit India which is advocating for an indivisible Bharat, when the nature of the Indian leaders is expansionist? Moreover, PM Narendra Modi-led government looks anarchist as it has been fueling communal violence within India.
Now the attempt made by the Modi government to promote Bharat instead of India across the globe is also likely to fuel dispute among the political parties.
What could be the reason behind promoting Bharat discarding “India”? Modi’s government has replaced the name India with a Sanskrit word in dinner invitations sent to guests attending last week’s Group of 20 summit, in a move that reflects his Hindu nationalist party’s efforts to eliminate the colonial era names.
President Droupadi Murmu was referred to as “President of Bharat” instead of “President of India” in the invitation sent to G20 attendees. The nation of more than 1.4 billion people is officially known by two names, India and Bharat, but the former is most commonly used, both domestically and internationally. Others argue that Bharat stands for the elite and India for commoners.
Bharat is an ancient Sanskrit word which many historians believe dates back to early Hindu texts. The word also means India. The change in nomenclature is backed by officials of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, reads a news story of AP news. BJP wallahas argue that the name India was introduced by British colonials and is a “symbol of slavery.” The British ruled India for about 200 years until the country gained independence in 1947. While there is no constitutional objection to calling India “Bharat,” which is one of the country’s two official names, I hope the government will not be so foolish as to completely dispense with “India,” which has incalculable brand value built up over centuries,” opposition lawmaker Shashi Tharoor said on X (former Twitter).
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