Delhi HC asks Centre to consider as representation plea to rename India as Bharat

A view of Delhi High Court.
| Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma

The Delhi High Court has asked the Centre to treat as representational a petition for amending the Constitution and replacing the word India with ‘Bharat’ or ‘Hindustan’.

The petitioner Mr. Namaha, a Delhi resident, had initially moved the Supreme Court, which in 2020, directed the petition to be treated as a representation that could be considered by appropriate ministries.

The petitioner then moved the High Court earlier this year for a direction to the authorities to decide his representation.

Justice Sachin Datta, in an order passed on March 12, recorded that the petitioner seeks to withdraw the present petition to pursue the matter with the ministries concerned for disposal of the petitioner’s representation in terms of the June 3, 2020 order passed by the Supreme Court.

The judge asked the Centre’s counsel to appropriately convey to the ministries concerned for expeditious compliance of the order passed by the Supreme Court.

“The petitioner is left with no option but to approach this court, by way of the present petition as there is no update from the respondents about any decision taken on the representation of the petitioner,” the petitions said.

It claimed that the English name ‘India’ does not represent the culture and tradition of the country and renaming it to ‘Bharat’ would help citizens shed “colonial baggage”.

It has sought to amend Article 1 of the Constitution, which deals with the name and territory of the Union.

The plea sought to amend Article 1 of the Constitution, which presently states, India that is Bharat, to henceforth state Bharat/Hindustan as a Union of States.

Referring to the 1948 Constituent Assembly debate on Article 1 of the then draft constitution, the plea has said even at that time there was a “strong wave” in favour of naming the country as ‘Bharat’ or ‘Hindustan’.

“However, now 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,” it said.