New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India dismissed a plea to change the name of the country from ‘India’ to ‘Bharat’ stating that it has been called ‘Bharat’ already in the constitution.
A bench headed by the Chief Justice of India and other Justices A S Bopanna and Hrishikesh Roy asked the petitioner’s counsel, “Why have you come here? India is already called Bharat in the Constitution.” Advocate Ashwin Vaish, appearing for the Delhi-based petitioner named Namah, argued that the petition is made to seek amendment to Article 1 of the Constitution. The CJI replied to it saying, “We can’t do that.”
CJI Sharad A. Bobde further said in the virtual court hearing, “Bharat and India are both names given in the Constitution. India is already called ‘Bharat’ in the Constitution.”
Advocate Vaish argued that the name India is quite English and did not symbolize the culture and tradition of the country. He said that it has rather got its origin from the Greek word ‘Indica’.
The plea had claimed that changing India’s name will ascertain citizens of the country to get over the colonial past and infuse a sense of pride in the nationality.
The petitioner also debated that the time is right to be acquainted with the country by its original and authentic name ‘Bharat’, now more than ever as the cities have also been renamed according to the Indian ethics.
The plea said, “Stop using INDIA. The removal of the English name though appears symbolic, will instill a sense of pride in our nationality, especially for the future generations. In fact, the word India being replaced with Bharat would justify the hard fought freedom achieved by our ancestors.”
The court said the petition should be transformed into a representation and a copy of the same to be forwarded to the ministries, principally the Ministry of Home Affair.
In 2016, the top court had rejected a similar plea. The then CJI T.S Thakur had pointed out saying that every Indian had the liberty and right to call his country either India or Bharat. He had further said that the Supreme Court had no business to dictate and direct Indian citizens and strip them of their right.
“If you want to call this country Bharat, go right ahead and call it Bharat. If somebody chooses to call this country India, let him call it India. We will not interfere,” he had said.
“The PIL is for poor people. You think we have nothing else to do,” a bench comprising Chief Justice TS Thakur and Justice UU Lalit had said, rejecting the petition.
The petitioner, Niranjan Bhatwal, a social activist from Maharashtra was told by the SC against filing such petitions as they won’t be entertained.
