Opinion divided over removing 'India' from Constitution

New Delhi, Sep 9 (IANS) An exclusive nationwide survey conducted by CVoter reveals that the respondents are split wide open on the Bharat versus India controversy that has surfaced recently.

The survey had a sample size of 3,350.

While 42 per cent respondents are of the opinion that the term India should not be removed from the Constitution, about 44 per cent feel the term India should be removed.

The Constitution of India that was adopted in January 1950 refers to the country as “India that is Bharat...”

A little more than half the respondents who identify themselves as supporters of the opposition INDIA bloc are of the opinion that the term India used in the original Constitution should be retained.

In contrast, close to 56 oer cent of the respondents who identify themselves as NDA supporters want the term India to be removed.

The controversy over the issue was first sparked when the President of India used the term Bharat in an invitation sent for a banquet and dinner to mark the G20 Summit being organised in Delhi.

Traditionally, such invitations have used the term India. Opposition parties, which are part of the new INDIA bloc, strongly criticised the ruling NDA regime for indulging in such acts to deviate attention from serious issues and also because it is allegedly rattled by growing opposition unity.

More controversy was triggered when the official itinerary of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a visit to Indonesia for an ASEAN meet mentioned him as the Prime Minister of Bharat.

Many countries in Asia and Africa have rested back to their old and traditional names by discarding the names given by colonial powers in the 19th and 20th century. Some instances in the neighbourhood are Ceylon being discarded and replaced with Sri Lanka and Burma being replaced with Myanmar.