The Name of Bharat and Symptoms of Indian Conservatism

The name Bharat was chosen as a replacement for the name India. There are political considerations that color the name change. What impact will this have on India?

The following article was translated using both Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI. The original article can be found in Nama Bharat dan Gejala Konservatisme India

REUTERS/ADNAN ABIDI

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with school children following his state address during the Indian Independence Day celebrations at Red Fort in New Delhi, India on Wednesday (15/8/2018).

At the G20 Summit in New Delhi, 9-10 September 2023, the host used the name Bharat, instead of India which has been known to the world. The story behind this new name provides an illustration of the direction of Indian politics which tends to be increasingly conservative.

It is very rare for the name Bharat to be used officially in international forums, especially at events of such large magnitude as the G20. The use of the new name, Bharat, replacing India which was printed on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's name plaque also sparked public reactions, both inside and outside India.

Actually, Bharat is not unfamiliar to Indian citizens. In fact, this name is enshrined in the constitution as one of the official names of the country. In addition to India and Bharat, another recognized name is Hindustan.

The names India and Hindustan come from the same source, namely the Indus River or previously called the Sindhu River. Sindhu, a term originating from Sanskrit, refers to the large river that flows through the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent.

This river stretches for approximately 3,200 kilometers, flowing from the Himalayan region and reaching the Arabian Sea. It is no secret that, besides serving as a natural border for India's territories, this river also gives identity to the country.

The renaming of Sindhu to India has undergone various evolutionary processes. Initially, Persian people who were close relatives of Aryans in India found it quite difficult to pronounce the sound of the letter "S". They often replaced it with the sound of "H". Therefore, they referred to the River Sindhu as Hindu.

This Hindu word then traveled to European continents, including Greece. In its pronunciation, there was another shift which caused the word "Hindu" to lose the letter "H" when pronounced by the Greeks. The word "Hindu" which changed into "Indu" slowly transformed into "Indus", "Inde", and finally became "India" as it is commonly known today.

Furthermore, in the Middle East region, there was no shift in the pronunciation that appeared in Europe. However, the word "Hindu" was then added with the suffix "-stan" which generally refers to a region or country. Thus, "Hindustan" means a region belonging to Hindu people.

This additional suffix "-stan" can also be traced in the treasury of Sanskrit words. In this language, there is "stan", which means place or region. The use of this suffix is also quite common in Central Asian and Middle Eastern countries, such as Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Pakistan.

Both of those names, India and Hindustan, can be said to be nicknames or exonyms. This means that it is highly likely that these names do not originate from the people themselves, but are terms used by outsiders for the nation. This is different from the name Bharat which tends to be an endonym.

The name Bharat is short for Bharatvarsha. This word is part of Sanskrit which means the land of the descendants of Bharata. In the Vedas, Bharata was the strongest clan who won the war of ten kings or the Battle of Dasharajna.

Also Read: "India" or "Bharat", Why Does India Want to Change the Name of the Country?

The meaning of the name

Aside from its history, the names India and Bharat have different connotations when used. On one hand, the name India is associated with those who come from educated backgrounds, live in urban areas, and come from middle to upper class economies. They are seen as part of the "India" that is currently becoming one of the world's economic powers.

Meanwhile, Bharat is more commonly used by those who live in rural areas, have limited access to education, and come from citizens with lower middle-class economic levels. Demographically, this is the largest composition of their citizens, with hundreds of millions of people.

The use of these two names also differs from the language used. As a former British colony, English became the formal and daily language used by the Indian community. Meanwhile, another language that is also used is Hindi which is also a national language besides English.

In English, India is used as the name of the country. Meanwhile, the name Bharat is used when people are speaking Hindi.

AFP/LUDOVIC MARIN

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right), French President Emmanuel Macron (2nd left), Indonesian President Joko Widodo (2nd right) and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (left) paid tribute to the commemoration of Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat during the G20 Summit in New Delhi on September 10, 2023.

However, sometimes the name Hindustan is also used in Hindi language usage. It's no wonder that there is a view that the use of the name India perpetuates colonialism that has left deep wounds for this nation.

Therefore, this name shift holds a profound meaning for Indian citizens. Especially for those who have been economically marginalized, the name Bharat brings a refreshing breeze that provides a sense of pride for them.

Those who take pride in the name Bharat are an equally important part of the society compared to the upper-class citizens who enjoy India's economic growth.

India is expected to be in the top three countries in the world within the next five years. India's economic growth is projected to be between 6-6.5 percent, placing the country in the category of countries with fast growth in the world.

Also Read: Modi Proclaims India's Upgrade to Become a Developed Country in the Next 25 Years

India's political future

This name change is also not unrelated to political aspects. The renaming, which is close to the 2024 Indian elections, certainly raises questions. It is difficult not to suspect Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, the incumbent, of playing rhetoric in the decision to rename. Moreover, the name Bharat is more sticking to the minds of the lower class, who are the majority in India.

The name Bharat, because it comes from the Vedas, is attached to Hinduism. This has the potential to create a narrative that India as a country belongs only to the Hindu community. In the context of Indian politics, the emergence of the Bharat narrative is not just a change of name.

The use of the name Bharat is a sign of the growing roots of conservatism in Indian politics led by PM Narendra Modi and his party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The use of the name Bharat is a sign of increasingly entrenched political conservatism.

The political rhetoric used by Modi also carries a high potential risk, especially in terms of national harmony. While it may appear positive, the use of Bharat can trigger extreme nationalism. However, if not careful, this spirit can lead to horizontal conflicts and national disintegration.

The reason is that Indian society is not a homogeneous society. There are at least four major religions, namely Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and Sikhism, who have lived side by side in India. Throughout history, these four religions have helped build Indian civilization for thousands of years until the post-colonial era. (KOMPAS R&D)

Also Read: India Will Become the Third Strongest Economic Country