Modi Replaces India's Name With Bharat

India's government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has stirred speculation about a possible official name change for the country by using the Sanskrit word "Bharat" in dinner invitations for this week's Group of 20 (G20) summit. The invitation referred to Droupadi Murmu as the "President of Bharat" instead of "President of India." The G20 summit, hosted by India, will see the participation of world leaders like US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron. India, with a population of over 1.4 billion people, is officially recognized by two names: India and Bharat, with the former being more commonly used domestically and internationally. Another term, Hindustan, is also used in literature and popular culture. "Bharat" is an ancient Sanskrit word that many historians trace back to early Hindu texts. It is also used as a Hindi synonym for India. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supports the shift, arguing that the term "India" was introduced during British colonial rule and symbolizes a period of subjugation. Modi's government has been accused of pursuing a nationalist agenda, seeking to reshape India into an ethnically Hindu state, despite its constitutional secular identity. In the past, the BJP-led government has changed the names of streets and avenues associated with India's Mughal and colonial history. These actions are presented as efforts to reclaim India's Hindu heritage. India's opposition parties criticized the government's move, with some expressing concern about the potential erasure of the name "India," which has significant historical and global recognition. Debates over "India" vs. "Bharat" have intensified since opposition parties formed an alliance in July. Reports suggest that the government may introduce a resolution for the name change during an upcoming parliamentary session. However, the government has not disclosed the specific agenda for the session, which is scheduled for September 18-22. The issue remains a subject of debate and political contention in India.