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Journalism of Courage
The BJP MP from Anand in Gujarat, Mitesh Patel, on Monday raised a question in the Lok Sabha on Monday about renaming India as “Bharat” or “Bharatvarsh” as deliberated by the Constituent Assembly in September 1949. Patel claimed that “India” signifies the “slavery that the country was subjected to”, as the name was given by the British East India Company.
This is not the first time Patel has raised this issue. In 2019, after being elected to the Lok Sabha, he said outside the House that the country should be referred to as “Bharat”.
Patel tells The Indian Express that he raised the question in Parliament because of the “hard work and sincere attempts” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to erase the traces of “colonial rule and slavery” from India.
Excerpts:
Why did you raise the question about officially renaming India as ‘Bharat’?
India is the only country with a Constitution that refers to its two names. Article 1.1 of the Constitution states, ‘India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States.’ So, when the Constitution itself identifies India as Bharat, why can’t we have it renamed to have only one name?
We were known as Bharat before the land was subjected to long colonial rule by the British. It is because of the East India Company that the name India came about … India was renamed so by the British. By naming it Bharat, we will only re-establish the ancient and original name of our country.
The Supreme Court has already put the ball in the court of the government in petitions seeking that India’s official name should be declared Bharat. I have also said it should either be called Bharat or Bharatvarsh.
Previously, there were suggestions that Ahmedabad should be renamed Karnavati, but it has not materialised due to the complexity of documentation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has undertaken a massive task of restoring the nation’s pride since taking charge at the Centre. Due to his hard work and vision, Rajpath has been renamed Kartavya Path to end the sentiment of royalty and signify public ownership. Similarly, the current Parliament building is a symbol of the British Raj too.
The new Parliament building or the Central Vista will be ready in the next couple of months and the next session of Parliament will mostly be held in the new building. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been tirelessly working to erase the symbols and the residual feelings of slavery that India went through for over two centuries. So, he has also taken the initiative to rename the official residence of the Prime Minister of India from 7, Race Course Road to 7, Lok Kalyan Marg; the Aurangzeb Road has been renamed Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Road. renaming India as Bharat is the natural progression in this direction. My question during Zero Hour was raised because I thought it would help expedite the work that PM Modi has undertaken.
Do you believe it may be a logistical challenge to carry out the change, given that ‘India’ appears on many official documents and currency notes?
When the step is taken in that direction, things will fall into place. There will be a system devised to seamlessly bring about the change. Documents, such as passports, can be changed when they are due for renewal. It will not be such a big problem to convert existing documents and use the official name.
Have you received any response from the government yet?
No, I have yet to hear from the government. I am planning to meet the Union Home Minister (Amit Shah) at the end of the Winter Session and personally submit the request. I have, however, received a great response from everyone who has come across my question in the House. Social media reactions to phone calls to the encouragement received from comments and news reports have left me overwhelmed. I was not expecting such a huge response to the question.
