The external affairs minister of India, opened his address at the UNGA recently with the words, “Namaste, from Bharat”. The social media circles latched onto it quickly and added the clip to the now long enough thread of high offices of the country using the word Bharat, instead of the alternative, India. Earlier in September, the invite for President’s G20 summit dinner referred to the Honourable President as the ‘President of Bharat’. And, to lead it all was Prime Minister Narendra Modi whose name plate at the G20 Summit, Delhi, read-Bharat.
This debate, however, is not new. The makers of our constitution were divided over the choice of name as well. Select members of the Constituent assembly endorsed the name ‘Bharat’. To them, the name Bharat was more representative of our history and culture. The assembly discussions delved into the historicity and relevance of the word Bharat. Regardless, as we know it, ending the debate, members of the constituent assembly found a suitable combination in ‘India, that is Bharat’, which eventually became part of Article 1(1).
Historically, the name Bharat is as old as this civilisation. Interestingly, the Rig Veda, mentions a tribe of the Bharatas (also Trutsus) who lived on the banks of river Saraswati. The river along with its tributaries came down from the Himalayas and flowed through the expanse of modern-day Haryana onto Rajasthan to ultimately flow into the sea. It was on the banks of this river that the Vedas were compiled. The Bharatas lived here and also called their homeland Sapta-Sindhu or the Land of Seven Rivers. At one point, these Bharatas got into a violent conflict with a coalition of 10 tribes from the West. Led by their chieftain Sudas, the Bharatas met their enemy on the banks of the Ravi river and successfully defeated the coalition. The victors continued with their campaign and established what can perhaps be called India’s first known empire.
Even the Mahabharat, one of the most important epics of our civilization, is named thus. It makes mention of a Chandravanshi King Bharat and it is his descendants that fought that grand battle of Dharma in Kurukshetra, Haryana. It was in the same region in Jyotisar that that holy sermon of Bhagvad Gita was delivered by Lord Krishna. There are many other references to the name but the antiquities of the word Bharat are well understood. Notably, the word ‘Bharat’ has also been used by Ancient travellers to this land. It was only with the Persians that Sindhu (other name of River Indus which along with Saraswati river made the Indus-Saraswati civilisation) became Hindu and later when the European colonists came that this civilisation-nation began being called India.
Hence, the historicity of the name is without a doubt. Instead, it is the recent context that makes it intriguing. A careful look at recent events draws us to the Independence Day 2022 speech of PM Modi wherein from the ramparts of the Red Fort he announced ‘Panch Pran’ for the ‘Amrit Kaal’. One of them included removing any trace of colonial mindset; and another one called citizens of India to take pride in our roots. Thus, making a firm foundation to look back at our common civilisational history.
And, that is precisely what ‘Bharat’ signifies. In contrast to India, calling ourselves Bharat is a concerted effort to affirm our cultural identity, honour our civilisational heritage, and more importantly, serves as a step towards decolonisation. Centuries of foreign rule and the colonial influence on our education system, administration, lifestyle and more; has resulted in a society that was disconnected from its glorious past. And it worked like a comet with a long tail. The repercussions continued post-independence. For over 7 decades, the nation has proceeded with caution, often emulating global powers rather than confidently asserting itself on the world stage. Notably, this assertion by any nation derives from a deep reverence that it’s citizens hold for their
roots and history. However, systematically detaching and destroying through systemic interferences; our colonisers ensured that Indian self-confidence was lost. We were more comfortable in doing what the west did or suggested; for that was the way of the modern world.
However, our civilisational roots were never totally forgotten. That a discussion on the name happened in the constituent assembly is a case in point. Over the years, it has also been preserved by people of the nation through various traditions and practices. But as India has entered the ‘Amrit kaal’; it is judicious to reflect that a name change does not signify a step backward. Instead, it symbolises the reaffirmation of what we have been, to be worn with pride and confidence. It is through this that the rising middle and disadvantaged class will become part of the nation’s growth story along with its elites. To that end both groups are needed. And, both names might work as well. For we are: Bharat, that is India.
Arjun S. Kadian is an Academic and Author based out of Delhi.