Dear MEL Topic Readers,
What’s in a name? India’s Modi sits behind ‘Bharat’ placard at G20
summit
Before the common era, The Greeks and the Romans used the name “India”
to refer to the land beyond the Indus River and the subcontinent. In the 18th
century when the British colonized the subcontinent, they adopted the name “India”.
Meanwhile, the name "Bharat" has long been the indigenous name for
India, which is derived from the name of the Vedic tribe of Bharatas, and also
is used officially. The use of the name "Bharat" has been revived in
recent years by some Indian nationalists who believe that it is a more accurate
and appropriate name for the country. They argue that the name
"India" is a colonial legacy and that it should be replaced with the
indigenous name "Bharat". In fact, there are cities in India that
were renamed from their British-era names, such as Mumbai from Bombay, Chennai
from Madras both in 1996, Kolkata from Calcutta in 2001, and Bengaluru from Bangalore
in 2007. Now at the Group of 20 (G20) summit on September 9, the host of the international
meeting surprised the attendees by naming itself “Bharat” on the name placard
and badges. The Turkish government has been pushing for a change in the
country's name from Turkey to Türkiye for several years, and the UN officially
recognized the new name in June 2022. They believe it is more accurate and
reflects the country’s culture and values. Will China be called Zhōngguó and
Japan will be called Nippon/Nihon in the near future? After all, English names are
convenient in the international community but do not represent the identities
of each country, history, or language.
Read the article and learn about the surprising name change at G20.
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