Will India Change Its Name to Bharat? Hindu Nationalism in Modi's India

As the G20 met in India this weekend, invitations to dinners during the G20 used the name Bharat instead of India. Bharat is a Sanskrit term which is already India's second official name but is not widely used internationally. Economics professor Jayati Ghosh speculates Prime Minister Narendra Modi appears to be moving toward the name Bharat as a "knee-jerk reaction" to a coalition of 26 opposition political parties called the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A.) ahead of 2024 elections. "It would be funny if it weren't also so expensively ridiculous," says Ghosh, who taught at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi for 35 years. "The immediate bringing in of this measure is really a panicky response to the fact that the opposition parties are coming together."

[combatcritique]

Article 1 says "India, that is Bharat, shall be a union of states".

[souvikroy]

students, this is a perfect example of giving a wrong answer to a question. She was asked what does bharat mean. And she replied politically. I wish she gave the meaning of bharat as well with this political answer.

[mallikadas]

Proud to be Bharatiya ❤❤❤ Our great Bharat ❤❤❤

[vidhirathod]

BHARAT has a lot of history to it. Bharat is untouched and untainted by the West and colonisers. I must say, however, it might not make sense for most for the name to be changed all the way now as we know ourselves as Indians now.

[_robustus_]

I’ve never been a supporter of Modi, but I have to point out that there has always been disagreement over what the country should be named. All of the options are centuries old and some millennial. He might have chosen Hindustan, which many already use and literally translated means land of the Hindus.

[PurushNahiMahaPurush]

It literally says on our passports “Bharat Ganarajya” aka Republic of India, in Devanagari. Bharat is the Indian name for the subcontinent.

[rahulj.]

No one is changing the name. Both name are in the constitution and both name can be used in place of other. It was raised in 2020 too when someone filed a petition in Supreme Court to change the name of India to Bharat but the SC rejected it saying that both names are in the constitution you can use whichever you like. The same thing Government is doing they are using whichever they like. From now they just going to promote name Bharat more than India at the domestic and international levels. Of course this has to do with the opposition naming them I.N.D.I.A but who going to stop the government, they are not doing anything illegal or unconstitutional

[Shri_Hegde]

Currency note already mention "Bharatiya Reserve Bank", I think she knows only English.. THat is why people in India says Once you get English education you will become Englishmen.. That is what British wanted and that is why they had introduced English Education..
Since 2014 for the first time in the Bharatiya history true Baharatiya (Indian) heading the country.. So these India born Englishmen coudnt digest it... So went to Foreign countries and started talking against India

[Hello-khbk]

Dude the minister has clarified it that India will not change the name. It was just a rumor. Bharat is already in our Indian constitution. We are both India and Bharat

Article 1: India that is Bharat

This is the first Article of the Indian constitution

Indian in India call itself as Bharat and Hindustan and India.. All 3 together

And last but not the least, India, The name has become an Brand international and it would be foolish to change its name

[teejay]

Japan in local language is called Nippon, Germany is Deutcheland and Ivory Coast reverting to French use Cote D Ivore.

Doesnt matter Bharath or Hindustan.

[markfischer]

If it does change its name I'm gong to call it BORAT! 🤣😝

[TaxReligionNow]

There's always someone trying to throw wrenches into every machine just to make a splash. Not because they actually care about anyone or anything in particular but because they want attention. So groups trying to steal away the name of a country should just be ignored.

[SidhuSahibSidhuSahib]

India is such good name far right finish india democracy and human rights ❤❤

[NeoCynic]

This is becoming a trend. Residents of Planet Uranus have also joined in after enduring centuries of the name of their beloved home planet being mispronounced. As of October 1 the planet is to be referred to as Planet Fuckface,

[yewsoonfatt]

changing name makes india proud again, once again above China! gogo india, sorry i mean gogo Bharat! way to go!

[HuyNguyen-qcue]

It looks like the knee-jerk reaction was from those who are participating in this discussion, not from Modi or his government. There has been no suggestion from Indian government to change the country's name!

[mkmanoj]

if politicians cannot agree to remame India BHARAT . Let the electorate (the public) have a REFERENDUM on the issue.

[TheGrateful]

Be wise, keep both names.
That makes country invincible to enemies and mysterious to lovers.
In that way whoever encounters INDIA would discover BHARAT, and whoever encounters BHARAT will face INDIA.
On utilitarian note, keep BHARAT for National Glory, and INDIA for international affairs with the west.

[salahaldin]

When you can't solve the real problems of the country like economy you have to keep people engaged in silly issues like this.

Honestly the hypocrisy and utter shamelessness of bjp politicians still shocks me. They were all using the word "India" for years and no one cared it but as soon as the opposition takes the name "India" they start bashing it and none of their followers ask why they didn't bring it up in the last 9 years.

When I see how brainwashed and gullible these people are it reminds me of 1930s Germany. The worst unfortunately is yet to come.

Btw does that mean they would change the national anthem as well ?
Since it uses the word 'hindustan' which is tye Persian version of India.

[dustykashifeathers]

2:26 the word "hindu" virtually derives from the arrival of the British Raj in the early 17th century, and was meant to categorize most all the numerous vedic schools of philosophy into one category; hence easier to colonize and control.