INDIA OR BHARAT?
From where did the word INDIA derived from?
Well the answer seems to be easy and simple, isn’t?…
We all are familiar with the fact that the BRITISHERS– who have nearly ruled our motherland for 200 years popularly call our country INDIA.
Dates goes back to the time when a GREEK Ambassador named MEGASTHANES, visited the court of CHANDRAGUPTA MAURYA– the founder of MAURYA EMPIRE, and stayed there for some time. On the account of his stay he wrote a book called the ‘INDICA’-from where we can epitomize the name for ‘INDIA’.
Popularly, what we know is, the name INDIA is derived from INDUS (latter name-SINDHU, a Sanskrit Word)
Whereas, the name BHARAT came from the name of BHARAT CHAKRAVARTI, an ancient king of the land- He was the son of King Dushyanta and his wife Shakuntala (popular mythological texts called him the ancestors of the EPIC MAHABHARATA’S characters– The KAURAVAS and the PANDAVAS.)
And then, we the people of this country came to a day, where after a long hardship struggle, we finally got our Independence. Ever since we got our Independence, one of the most important topics that had always popped up in the ignited minds of several Indians, that why our country, did not choose the name BHARAT but instead chose INDIA. Well the pride lies in both the names, no offence to that!
One must have the question in mind after reading the above that why all this information is being suddenly generated and been told to the people around.
It is because today i.e. 2nd of June 2020, is the day where the SUPREME COURT of our country will be hearing a plea that SHOULD INDIA BE RENAMED AS BHARAT?
The above petition has been filed by a resident of DELHI, named NAMAH. His petition is to amend the Article 1 of the Indian Constitution, which names the country as well as defines its territories.
The Article 1 of Indian Constitution states INDIA, THAT IS BHARAT, SHALL BE A UNION OF STATES. The petitioner says the name ‘INDIA’ is a SYMBOL OF SLAVERY while he is seeking to recognize ‘BHARAT’ or ‘HINDUSTAN’ as the only name of this country. The petitioner also mentioned the places whose names have been changed in accordance with the Indian Constitution, for over the years.
Even in some theories it is stated that the writings of the CHINESE TRAVELLER, HIUEN TSANG– who visited INDIA during the reign of EMPEROR HARSHAVARDHANA, also states that BHARAT was the original name of the country.
Earlier during the drafting of the Indian Constitution, a debate about the same has been taken place between HV KAMATH, who was a member of the Constituent Assembly, and the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Indian Constitution, Dr BHIM RAO AMBEDKAR as the former objected to the committee’s draft which decides to have two names for the Nation– INDIA & BHARAT.
Many noted persons like SETH GOVIND DAS, MA AYYANGAR, KAMALAPATI TRIPATHI, BM GUPTA, SHRIRAM SAHAI wanted the country to be named as BHARAT.
However, Dr RAJENDRA PRASAD, the first president of INDIA put the amendments to vote and all gradually fell.
YOGI ADITYANATH-the current CHIEF MINISTER of UTTAR PRADESH, in 2014 had moved a private member’s bill in the Lok Sabha, seeking substitution, for the word INDIA in the Indian Constitution, with the word HINDUSTAN and also proposing BHARAT as the primary name of the country.
Over the years many people have argued over this but till now no decision has been made to amend the name. However, the decision is yet to come, we can just hope that whatever be the decision the pride should remain within us. It should not be like one gets doubt about his/her nationality because if someone doesn’t get a sense of pride with the current name, that person will never get the sense of pride even after the name has been changed. The sense of pride can be more though, if we recognize our country by its original and authentic name.
Story by Sushmita Narayan