RSS national general secretary pitches for one name for nation: 'Bharat hi bolo, India toh angrezi naam hai'

RSS national general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale

RSS national general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale said that the nation must go forward with only one name and constitutional amendments must be made to replace "India" with “Bharat”.

Speaking at the launch of the book Vimarsh Bharat Ka, published by Suruchi Prakashan, at the Panchsheel Balak Inter College auditorium, Hosabale questioned why institutions such as the Reserve Bank of India or the Constitution should still carry the English name when Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself referred to the country as the “Republic of Bharat” during the G20 dinner at Rashtrapati Bhavan last year.

“Desh ka naam Bharat hai, toh Bharat hi bolo. India toh angrezi naam hai," he said.

The India vs Bharat row began after the opposition parties, which formed the INDIA bloc against the BJP for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had then questioned the choice of name. He cited examples of organisations like Popular Front of India and said they also use India in their names.

According to Hosabale, the British regime left a deep imprint that continues to shape Indian consciousness. He cited historical instances of cultural erasure, from the destruction of temples and gurukuls during the invasion by the Mughals to the imposition of English as a dominant language.

“Mughals invaded Bharat, destroyed our temples, gurukuls, ancient culture, dominated us, but it did not make us feel inferior to the extent the British did. British rule made us feel that they were better than us. The idea of ‘Engraziyat’ still persists. That is why the business of English medium schools flourishes here," he said.

He also accused Left-liberal historical narratives of portraying Bharat’s past rulers as oppressors. “They want us to believe that all our kings were oppressors. They made that narrative, which was misleading,” said the RSS general secretary.

Hosabale also invoked VS Naipaul’s critiques of post-colonial societies. “A new wave must sweep across the nation, one that does not diminish others or demean other nations but reclaims our own identity," he said. “Bharat will never stand for Dadagiri (one up-manship), or to destroy other countries. Bharat will always stand for global good. But, before that, we have to stay united and lead by example," he told the gathering.