New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to the Centre, states and Union territories for a direction to declare India as “Bharat” and to use this name in all official purposes. A bench of Chief Justice H.L. Dattu and Justice Arun Mishra issued notice on a writ petition filed by N. Bhatwal.
Quoting debates in the Constituent Assembly in September 1949, the petitioner said on the point of “namakaran”, and in relation, to name the country, various suggestions were put forward and the prominent suggestion was to declare “India” as “Bharat”. It was suggested that for clauses (1) and (2) of Article 1 in the Constitution, these clauses be substituted: (1) India, that is, Bharat shall be a Union of states. He said his similar petition filed last year was disposed of with a direction to submit a representation to the government.
Accordingly a representation was made to declare “India” as “Bharat” but no reply was received. Hence the present petition for a direction to use the name “Bharat”, in lieu of “India”, as the reason being the true intention of the Constituent Assembly of appending the name “Bharat” in Article 1 of the Constitution was for giving it the name “Bharat” instead of “India”.
He said “the realm of ‘Bharat’, is known as Bharatavarsa in the Mahabharata (the core portion of which is itself known as Bharata) and later texts. The term varsa means a division of the earth, or a continent, he said and wanted India to be declared as Bharat.
