Pulwama, Sep 06: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and working president of National Conference, Omar Abdullah on Wednesday made a compelling case for the simultaneous use of “India” and “Bharat” in official communication.
Abdullah, who was talking to the media persons here at Pulwama, underscored the constitutional importance of both names.
He highlighted the presence of both “India” and “Bharat” in the Indian Constitution and insisted that preserving both names was essential to uphold the constitutional heritage of the country.
Drawing attention to the recent change in nomenclature, Abdullah pointed out that even the Prime Minister’s plane, which he used during his recent trip to Indonesia, prominently displayed both “India” and “Bharat.”
He posited that while there might be reasons for the Prime Minister to opt for one name over the other in official communication, it should not lead to the obliteration of “India” from the Constitution.
Abdullah raised a poignant question, asking, “From how many institutions will you erase the name ‘India’? Will you erase it from SBI, ISRO, IIT, IIM, and countless others?”
Regarding concerns that this change might be politically motivated due to opposition parties naming their alliance “INDIA,” Abdullah proposed a diplomatic approach.
He suggested, “If this shift is happening solely because opposition parties have chosen to name the alliance ‘INDIA,’ perhaps a gentle hint can be given to us to consider changing our name.”
He said that there is no need to change the name of the country just because the opposition alliance named themselves INDIA.
“Give us a hint, we will change the name,” he said, adding that they don’t want the country should suffer because of them.
