New Delhi

In a potential overhaul that could reset the central identification point of the Indian Republic, top Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma hinted that the official name of the Indian Republic is set to be changed.

"REPUBLIC OF BHARAT - happy and proud that our civilisation is marching ahead boldly towards AMRIT KAAL," Sarma wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

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Sarma's post on 'X' was interpreted by many as the ruling party's leader's confirmation of reports which claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is set to bring a resolution to effect a potential change of name during the scheduled special session of Indian parliament later this month. 

Jairam Ramesh, the leader of India's principal opposition party Congress, also took to X and pointed out that an invite for a state dinner from Rashtrapati Bhawan — the official residence of the President of India — was sent as that from the 'President of Bharat' and not 'President of India', as was the case before. 

"So the news is indeed true," Jairam Ramesh wrote on X.

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"Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on Sept 9th in the name of 'President of Bharat' instead of the usual 'President of India'."

"Now, Article 1 in the Constitution can read: 'Bharat, that was India, shall be a Union of States.' But now even this 'Union of States' is under assault," Ramesh added. 

WION can confirm that the invite cited by Jairam Ramesh was indeed sent in the name of the 'President of Bharat'.

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Jairam Ramesh, in another post on X, deemed it an attack on I.N.D.I.A. alliance of opposition parties. Founded in July 2023, the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance is a big-tent political alliance of 26 political parties led by the Indian National Congress. The alliance aims to take on Prime Minister Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party, aiming to seek a third term next year. 

Article 1 of Indian Constitution

Article 1 of the Indian Constitution declares that 'India, that is Bharat' is a 'Union of States'. The inaugural article of India's constitution further defines India's territory as well as its nomenclature-related aspects.

No constitutional objection to calling India, 'Bharat': Shashi Tharoor

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, a former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, took to X and said: "While there is no constitutional objection to calling India 'Bharat', which is one of the country’s two official names, I hope the government will not be so foolish as to completely dispense with 'India', which has incalculable brand value built up over centuries. We should continue to use both words rather than relinquish our claim to a name redolent of history, a name that is recognised around the world."

India and Bharat: The names which characterise world's largest democracy

The word 'India' comes from the word 'Indus', named after Indus (or Sindhu) river that flows through Tibet, India's Jammu and Kashmir, and traverses most of Pakistan.

The Greeks and Iranians called it 'Hindos' or 'Indos' meaning the land to the east of the river called Indus. Following colonial conquests by the Dutch, French, and British, it was used for the country of India.

In an ancient Indian text, Vishnu Purana, the name Bharat finds mention as the landmass that lies north of the ocean and south of snow mountains. It states:

Uttaraṃ yatsamudrasya himādreścaiva dakṣiṇam

varṣaṃ tadbhārataṃ nāma bhāratī yatra santatiḥ

This shloka means: “The country (Varsam) that lies north of the ocean and south of the snowy mountains is called Bharatam; there live the descendants of Bharata.

Constitutionally, Bharat is the official Sanskrit name of the country, Bharat Ganarajya; Republic of India.

So far, the names Bharat and India have often been used interchangeably, and Bharat is interpreted as an indigenous translation of the word India. The passports issued to Indian citizens, too, bear the official names Bharat Ganrajya (in Hindi) and Republic of India (in English).

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