Change 'India' As 'Bharat' To Remove Colonial Hangover : Plea In Sc

The Supreme Court on Friday adjourned the hearing of a plea seeking amendment of Article 1 of the Constitution of India to the extent of altering the name of India to "Bharat".

A bench of Justices AS Bopanna & Hrishikesh Roy adjourned the hearing to June 2 on account of unavailability of Chief Justice SA Bobde today.

The plea has been filed by Namaha, an individual, stating that the country should be recognised by its "original" and "authentic name" Bharat. Petition has been filed through Advocate Raj Kishor Chaudhary.

Petitioner has averred that the amendment to Article 1 shall ensure that Citizens of this country get over their colonial past as the "removal of an English name" shall instil a sense nationalistic fervour.

"The time is ripe to recognise the country by its original and authentic name, i.e. BHARAT; especially when our cities have been renamed to identify with the Indian ethos.... In fact the word India being replaced with BHARAT would justify the hard fought freedom by our ancestors" - Excerpt(s) from Plea

Petitioner contends that there has been a failure on part of the Union of India to do away with the name "India" which is a "symbol of slavery". He states that this has caused "injury" to the public resulting in "loss of identity and ethos as inheritors of the hard-won freedom from foreign rule".

To substantiate his averments, the petitioner cites the Constituent Assembly debates dated November 15, 1948 while debating Article 1 of the draft of the Constitution wherein Shri M. Ananthasayanam Ayyangar had Seth Govind Das had batted for the adoption of names "Bharat, Bharat Varsha, Hindustan" instead of "India".

The petitioner therefore seeks issuance of directions from the Top Court to the Union for taking appropriate steps to amend Article 1 of the Constitution to the effect that the same refers to the Country as "Bharat".