India renamed Bharat in G20 summit dinner invitation
Indian President Droupadi Murmu has taken the public by storm for writing himself as President Bharat, in an invitation to the G20 summit dinner. The invitation sparked a polemic in India.
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| The Twitter page of India's opposition Congress party leader Shashi Tharoor shows an invitation from the President of India reading as President of Bharat, in New Delhi, Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has replaced India with a Sanskrit word in dinner invitations sent for the Group of 20 summit, in a move that echoes with his Hindu nationalist party’s efforts to scrub away what it sees are colonial-era names. Politics over India versus Bharat has gained ground since the opposition parties in July announced a new alliance — called INDIA. (Photo: AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) |
Indian Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticized the invitation. The renaming is considered to have long-term consequences.
The name "Bharat" is considered to have existed since ancient times
Two days earlier, former athlete Virender Sehwag urged that India's name be changed to Bharat in the Cricket World Cup, as quoted by the India Express, Friday (5/9/2023).
Hindu nationalist organizations in India RSS also urged that Bharat's name be unveiled immediately. Bharat is considered to have existed since ancient times and should be guarded.
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There has been no official clarification from the Indian government on the controversy over the invitation.
Meanwhile, the 2023 G20 Leaders' Summit will take place from September 9 to 10, 2023 at Bharat Mandapam, the international convention and exhibition center at Pragati Maidan.