The government of India is considering changing the country’s name to “Bharat.”
A corresponding resolution may be introduced during a special session of Parliament scheduled from September 18th to 22nd.
Some members of Parliament view the current name of the country as a relic of English colonialism.
According to the Indian constitution, the country has two official languages: English and Hindi. In English, the country is known as “India,” while in Hindi, it is referred to as “Bharat.”
To pass the resolution for the renaming, a simple majority in both houses of Parliament is required. Subsequently, the authorities will need to make amendments to the constitution in at least ten places where the term “Government of India” is mentioned in the English version.
“The British renamed Bharat to India. Our country has been known as Bharat for thousands of years… This is an ancient name for the country found in ancient Sanskrit texts. The name India was colonial and, thus, a symbol of slavery. The name India should be removed from the Constitution,” said one of the members of the upper house of the Indian Parliament.
The move to rename the country could be seen as a step to shed the vestiges of colonialism and embrace a name deeply rooted in the country’s historical and cultural heritage. The special parliamentary session will be pivotal in determining whether the name change will proceed.
