Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s nameplate at the entrance of the Group of 20 (G-20) summit on Saturday naming India as “Bharat”, resulting in analysis of a transformation of name for the South Asian country. India is also known as Bharat, Bharata and Hindustan – these are pre-colonial names – in Indian languages. These are taken exchangably by the public and officially. The nation has traditionally stuck to using “India” in the titles of office-holders like the president or prime minister whilst conversing in English.
But earlier this week, President Droupadi Murmu called her own self as the President of Bharat , while she was attending a dinner invitation for a reception of G-20 leaders, resulting in major controversy. As Mr Modi announced the summit in New Delhi open on Saturday, he sat behind a table nameplate that said “Bharat”, whilst the G-20 logo had both names – Bharat written in Hindi, and India in English. Posters like this have used “India” in the past. Conversing in Hindi, Mr Modi said: “Bharat rolls out the red carpets for the delegates as the president of the G-20”.