Embracing 'Bharat': India reclaims its civilisational identity

The external affairs minister of India, opened his address at the UNGA recently with the words, "Namaste, from Bharat". The social media circles latched onto it quickly and added the clip to the now long enough thread of high offices of the country using the word Bharat, instead of the alternative, India. Earlier in September, the invite for President's G20 summit dinner referred to the Honourable President as the 'President of Bharat'. And, to lead it all was Prime Minister Narendra Modi whose name plate at the G20 Summit, Delhi, read-Bharat.

- ARJUN S KADIAN

This debate, however, is not new. The makers of our constitution were divided over the choice of name as well. Select members of the Constituent assembly endorsed the name 'Bharat'. To them, the name Bharat was more representative of our history and culture. The assembly discussions delved into the historicity and relevance of the word Bharat. Regardless, as we know it, ending the debate, members of the constituent assembly found a suitable combination in 'India, that is Bharat', which eventually became part of Article 1(1).

Historically, the name Bharat is as old as this civilisation. Interestingly, the Rig Veda, mentions a tribe of the Bharatas (also Trutsus) who lived on the banks of river Saraswati. The river along with its tributaries came down from the Himalayas and flowed through the expanse of modern-day Haryana onto Rajasthan to ultimately flow into the sea. It was on the banks of this river that the Vedas were compiled.