The government replaces India with a Sanskrit word in dinner invitations sent to guests attending this week’s summit, causing an uproar, Al Jazeera reports.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has replaced the name India with a Sanskrit word in dinner invitations sent to guests attending this week’s Group of 20 (G20) summit, triggering speculation that the name of the country will be officially changed.
Droupadi Murmu is referred to as “President of Bharat” instead of “President of India” in the invitation sent to G20 attendees on Tuesday.
India is hosting the annual G20 summit in New Delhi on Saturday and Sunday. Many world leaders, including US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron, will attend.
The nation of more than 1.4 billion people is officially known by two names, India and Bharat, but the former is most commonly used, both domestically and internationally. Hindustan is another word for the nation and is often used in literature and other forms of popular culture.
Bharat is an ancient Sanskrit word that many historians believe dates back to early Hindu texts. The word is also used as a Hindi option for India.
Many Indian media outlets, citing sources, on Tuesday reported that the government might bring a resolution to that effect during a special parliament session this month.
