The G20 Conference, which brings together the top 20 economies in the world, recently took an unexpected turn when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggested relegation of India to ‘Bharat.’ Political leaders, opposition parties, and intelligentsia within India and beyond reacted differently to this move, which has stirred national and international apprehensions. The dispute started when summit invitations referred to the nation as “Bharat” rather than the traditional “India.” India’s renaming to Bharat has long been a topic of discussion. Some people believed that the government was making an effort to gradually change the name of the nation from “India” to “Bharat.” Given the Modi government’s prior efforts to separate India from what it viewed as leftovers of British colonial control, this notion was not wholly without merit. INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) was founded in July by the leaders of 26 opposition parties in India with the primary goal of taking on Prime Minister Modi in the forthcoming general election in 2024. The change from “Bharat” to “Akhand Bharat” represents a comprehensive vision with consequences that go beyond India’s national boundaries.

Source: The Nation September 13, 2023 09:58 UTC