A Journey of Self-Realization That Took a Long Time of 75 Years:

From India to Bharat

The world’s largest democracy is once again becoming a hot topic but this time not due to
economic growth, military exercise, or bilateral talks. This time, the topic of the discussion is the
name of the country. Recently, during the G-20 summit, the President of India issued an
Invitation that described the country as “Bharat’ instead of “India”.

NEW DELHI, BHARAT | 2023 |

PM Narendra Modi Sitting Behind the Name Plate Bharat During G-20 Summit

The news got everyone’s attention when an invitation issued by the president of India was
trending on X (Formerly known as Twitter). The Invitation issued by the president’s office used
the phrase “President of Bharat” instead of India. In no time, the invitation went viral on all
social media platforms attracting users' reactions.

Many senior BJP leaders supported the move and praised the central government. Many leaders
called it a proud moment of reclaiming the lost glory of the country. Apart from BJP leaders,
several actors, cricketers, and other political leaders supported this speculation of changing the
country’s name. Celebrities such as Amitabh Bachchan, Virendra Sehwag, and Kumar Vishwas
showed their support through social media posts.

The opposition criticizes the move calling it an attempt to distract the public from real problems.
Congress leader, Rahul Gandhi went one step ahead and called the name of change of country
“Absurd”. Another congress leader Shashi Tharoor suggested that the country should use both
the names Bharat and India instead of renaming the country.

What the History Says…

The name Bharat is as old as civilization. The name can be found in ancient texts of the country
and has several mentions throughout history. Indian epics such as “Ramayan” and “Mahabharat”
have several mentions of the word “Bharat”. The name Bharat is mentioned in the Rigveda, the
first and oldest Veda. As per the historians, the name Bharat was given to the country after
Emperor “Bharat”. The word is derived from the oldest language in the world “Sanskrit”

The name India is derived from the river “Indus”. On the contrary, the name “India” was first
coined by the Greeks in the 5th century. Greeks used this nomenclature to call the land beyond
the river. Later, Britishers also called the country by the same name. During the British era, the
invaders officially named the country India and it got international recognition under the same
name. Even after the independence the South Asia giant continued under the name of India.

What Can be the Solution

Instead of renaming the country, the administration can use both names simultaneously. To
regain lost glory our country can teach future generations about the importance and relevance of
Bharat attached to the rich culture and history of India.