A Writ Petition filed in the Supreme Court sought to change the name of the country from “India” to “Bharat”.
Petitioner’s Submission
The Petitioner submitted before the Hon’ble Supreme Court, saying that the country should be acknowledged by a real and authentic name which is Bharat. This is because the word India’s derivation is from ‘Indica’, which is a Greek word.
Furthermore, it was submitted that by not using India, the citizens of the country will overcome the colonial period. Also, the same will inculcate pride in nationality. Lastly, it will provide justice to the sacrifice made by our freedom fighters.
The Petitioner had said that there should be only one name for the country. This is because there are multiple names currently such as India, Republic of India, Bharat, Bharat Ganarajya, etc.
The Petitioner further added:
“There are different names on different documents. The Aadhar card says ‘Bharat Sarkar’, Driving License says ‘Union of India’, ‘Republic of India’ on Passports, creating confusion. There should be uniformity, and one should know the name of the nation. This is the time for unity.”
Court’s Observation
A three-judge bench comprising of Chief Justice of India SA Bobde, Justice AS Bopanna and Justice Hrishikesh Roy observed that Constitution of India under Article- 1. The Court said that, “India that is Bharat shall be a Union of States,” already refers to India as Bharat.
CJI SA Bobde asked the Petitioner’s Counsel, referring to Article 1 of the Constitution:
“Why have you come here? India is already called Bharat in the Constitution.”
The Court further observed that it cannot pass orders to amend the Constitution of India for such changes.
Court’s Decision
The Supreme Court directed the Petitioner to send the copy of the Petition as a representation to the appropriate ministry to consider it and pass the decision. The Petition was dismissed.
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