New Delhi, September 5, 2023
A recent tweet by former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti, has ignited a fierce debate in India over the potential renaming of the country from "India" to "Bharat." The controversy deepened as President Draupadi Murmu used the title "President of Bharat" on official G20 Summit dinner invitations, deviating from the conventional "President of India."
Mufti's tweet, posted on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), featured an image of the G20 Summit dinner invitation card addressed to the "President of Bharat." In her post, Mufti criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), stating, "BJP’s aversion to India’s foundational principle of unity in diversity has touched a new low. By reducing India’s many names from Hindustan & India to now only Bharat shows its pettiness & intolerance. For the first time in India’s post-independence history, a party with a brute majority is treating the entire country as its fiefdom."
This statement highlights the growing divide over the proposed name change, which has been a topic of significant discussion in recent days. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also entered the conversation, mentioning "BHARAT" as a representation of the shared objectives of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) parties. Ramesh clarified that this was not a formal proposal for a name change but underscored the ideological differences within the political spectrum.
Furthermore, an old speech by Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan resurfaced, where he passionately advocated for changing the country's name to "Bharat." Kalyan argued that "India" was a name imposed by British colonial rulers and that "Bharat" better represents India's authentic identity.
As the nation anticipates a five-day special session of Parliament scheduled from September 18 to 22, speculations continue to swirl regarding the government's intentions concerning the name change. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has expressed its support for the change, while opposition parties, including Congress and figures like Mehbooba Mufti, have raised concerns about the potential implications for India's diverse cultural and historical identity.
The ongoing debate over the nation's name is not merely a linguistic matter but also a broader ideological discussion about India's identity and unity. With political leaders and commentators expressing their views, the country awaits further developments in this historic deliberation.
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