'Why India?': RSS general secy wants it called 'Bharat' in English, Hindi

Referring to the use of 'India'- a colonial era name - by institutions like the Reserve Bank of India and in the Indian Constitution, RSS's Dattatreya Hosabale questioned its necessity

The ‘Bharat vs India’ debate has been reignited once again. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) National General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale has called for uniformity in the country’s official name.

 

Speaking at a book launch event at the Panchsheel Balak Inter College auditorium, Hosabale said, “Desh ka naam Bharat hai, toh Bharat hi bolo. India toh angrezi naam hai” [The name of the country is Bharat, so call it Bharat. India is an English name], according to media reports.

 

Questioning why institutions like the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Constitution of India still use ‘India’— a colonial name given during British rule — Hosabale asked if it was necessary, especially when Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to the nation as the ‘Republic of Bharat’ during the G20 dinner at Rashtrapati Bhawan in 2023.

 

 

Hosabale’s argument

According to the RSS general secretary, British rule in India has left a deep imprint on the minds of the people, which continues to shape their consciousness to date. Seeking ‘decolonisation of the mind’, he urged citizens to question this duality. He went on to quote instances of cultural erasure by the colonisers mentioned in Indian history, which included the destruction of temples and gurukuls after the Mughal invasion, and the imposition of English as a dominant language.

 

During his address, Hosabale said the Mughals invaded Bharat and destroyed the temples and gurukuls of the country. They also erased India’s ancient culture and dominated the people. “However, it did not make us feel inferior to the extent the British did. British rule made us feel that they were better than us,” he said.

 

Hosabale also slammed the historical narrative set forth by the left-liberals and called it ‘misleading’, as it showcased past Bharat rulers as oppressors.

 

The RSS general secretary stressed the need for an intellectual reset. He said that a new wave must sweep across the country, one that does not demean other countries or diminish others but can help reclaim our identity. Urging people to stay united and asking them to lead by example, he also said that Bharat will only stand for global good.