Pankaj Sharma
New Delhi: There have been occasional debates and discussions related to the use of these two names -- India and Bharat -- in official documents and discourse. The term "India" is often associated with the country's colonial past and is the internationally recognised name. On the other hand, "Bharat" has deep cultural and historical roots in India's ancient texts and traditions. The recent decision by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre to prioritise the use of "Bharat" over "India" has sparked debate over the nation's identity and history. The opposition has alleged that invitations to the G20 Summit dinner, sent by Rashtrapati Bhavan, featured the term 'President of Bharat' rather than the usual 'President of India.' This has sparked speculation that the government might introduce a resolution to officially rename India as Bharat during the upcoming special session of Parliament, which is being convened on September 18. September has consistently been a month of debates for many years, and this can be traced back to September 1949 when there was intense discussion regarding the phrase 'India, that is Bharat...'. This debate followed the establishment of a committee on August 29, 1947, by the Constituent Assembly, with BR Ambedkar as its chairman, to draft the Constitution. In 1948, the Draft Constitution of India began with Article 1, stating 'India shall be a Union of States.' During the Constituent Assembly discussion, some members suggested alternatives like 'Bharat,' 'Bharat Varsha,' and 'Hindustan' for 'India.' A year later, in September 1949, the Assembly revisited the issue to decide on the Union's name. Ambedkar, on behalf of the Drafting Committee, moved an amendment proposing to change Artic ...
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