'Bharat' trumps 'India' in BJP's poll manifesto

The Modi-led dispensation has been contemplating a monumental change altering the country's official name to 'Bharat.'

The primacy attached to the use of 'Bharat' over India and Bharatiya over Indians was evident in the Bharatiya Janata Party's 'Sankalp Patra', released on April 14. The central government has been prioritizing the use of the word "Bharat" over "India", with some BJP leaders even saying that the name “India” is a remnant of the country’s colonial past.

The manifesto released by BJP for the Lok Sabha elections was replete with the word "Bharat" and "Bharatiya", instead of India and Indian.

For instance, in its pledge to promote India as a venue for weddings, the BJP manifesto said: "We will promote select destinations across Bharat as preferred venues to showcase the richness of Bharatiya weddings, highlighting the vibrant traditions, and supporting cultural exchanges."

Similar such instances were apparent throughout the 69-page Sankalp Patra, which was unveiled in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi.

While the BJP manifesto did include the word "India", the prevalence of "Bharat" far outweighed its usage.

Bharat vs India row

The 'Bharat' vs 'India' debate has dominated the public discourse in India for quite some time now. The BJP was been been unequivocal about the usage of 'Bharat' in government and official communications.

The RSS has been asking for privileging the use of Bharat over India for long, but the Opposition bloc’s decision to label itself INDIA as an acronym also might have influenced the BJP's clear mention of the term 'Bharat' and 'Bharatiya' in its election manifesto.

The Prime Minister has been popularising ‘Bharat’ on international fora like the ASEAN-India Summit.

Domestically, he has asked ministers to stay off the ‘India vs Bharat’ debate.  This should also be seen in continuation to the ruling party's attempt in  renaming cities and places that were linked to the Mughal and colonial periods.  For instance, the Mughal Garden at the presidential palace in New Delhi was renamed Amrit Udyan.

The Modi-led dispensation has been contemplating a monumental change altering the country's official name to 'Bharat.'

This shift gained traction as official G20 dinner invitations bore the title 'President of Bharat' instead of the traditional 'President of India.' The implications of this move sparked a multifaceted debate in 2023, transcending political lines.

For some time now, the BJP government at the Centre decided to use Bharat instead of India in some official communication and documents, a practice that its representatives say will now expand. ‘India, that is Bharat,...’ is how the Constitution of India names the country, and the use of one or the other has been largely contextual all this while.

Both BJP and RSS  ideologues say the name India smacks of a colonial overhang and lacks acceptance among the masses. They also believe that it is ancient Indian wisdom that can help the country rebuild itself, not only economically and culturally but also socially. The Sangh, for long, has been pushing for ‘Bharat’ as the country’s name.