A plea seeking to rename the country from “India” to “Bharat” or “Hindustan” was heard by the Delhi High Court on February 4, with the Central government seeking time to take instructions from relevant authorities.
The petition, filed by one Namaha, urges an amendment to Article 1 of the Constitution, which currently states, “India, that is Bharat”, to instead read “Bharat/Hindustan as a Union of States”.
During the hearing, Justice Sachin Datta granted the Centre time to respond and deferred further proceedings. “At the outset, learned counsel for the respondent nos. 1 and 4 who appears on advance notice seeks some time to take instructions,” the Court stated while posting the matter for further consideration on March 12.
Petitioner’s Argument: Shedding Colonial Baggage
The petitioner contends that the English name “India” does not reflect the country’s culture and traditions, arguing that renaming it to “Bharat” would help citizens move away from colonial influence.
The petitioner had initially approached the Supreme Court in 2020, but the apex court had refused to entertain the plea and instead directed that it be treated as a representation before the Central government. After filing an RTI application in 2021 to check the status of this representation and receiving no satisfactory response, the petitioner has now approached the Delhi High Court.
Government’s Response
Appearing for the Central government, Standing Counsel Nidhi Raman, along with Government Pleaders Arnav Mittal and Zubin Singh, requested time to take instructions before providing a formal response.
The plea was filed through Advocate Ashutosh Thakur, with Senior Advocate Sanjeev Sagar and Advocates Aabhas Parmal and Ashutosh Thakur representing the petitioner.
The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, Ministry of Law and Justice, and the Secretary Generals of both Houses of Parliament have been made parties to the petition.
With the matter now listed for March 12, all eyes will be on how the Central government responds to the demand for renaming the nation.
Case: Namaha Vs Union Of India & Ors. – Available on LAWFYI.IO
