While a G-20 invite mentioning President Droupadi Murmu as ‘President of Bharat’ has led to a flurry of reactions from all sides, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat, had recently said that people of the country should use the name ‘Bharat’ instead of India.
Mr. Bhagwat, who was speaking at an event organised by Sakal Jain Samaj in Guwahati on September 3 had said, “Our country has been known as ‘Bharat’ for ages. Whatever may be the language, the name remains the same. We don’t have to think about whether anyone outside will understand this or not. If they want to, they will, but that is not our problem.”
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“When someone’s name is Gopal, do we tell people who know only English that his name is cow herder? No. Gopal is a special name and it will remain Gopal wherever he may go. Same is with our Bharat,” said Mr. Bhagwat had said.
He further urged people to start using ‘Bharat’ in all fields to see the change it would bring.
“The world need us today, we don’t need the world,” Mr. Bhagwat said adding that ‘special names’ are always “taken the way they are and not every word can be translated”.
This was not the first time the RSS had pitched for renaming the country as ‘Bharat’. Former heads of the organisation too have called for India to be renamed as ‘Bharat’ and have said that people of the country should go back to their roots. The RSS has asserted its belief that ‘India’ was a word given to the country by Britishers, and hence, should be shunned.
“It has always been a request from our side that there should only be one name for the county which is ‘Bharat’. In all our literature, documents, and even in daily conversations, we only call it ‘Bharat’ and that is the only right word,” said a senior RSS functionary.
