A 24-page magazine named “Bharat: The Mother of Democracy” has been distributed at no cost, mostly to delegates and reporters at the G20 Summit.
The official name of the country, “Bharat,” was prominently displayed on a tag on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s table during his opening remarks at the G20 Summit. Modi gave his full support to the term “Bharat” just days after President Draupadi Murmu invited multiple parties to a dinner under the moniker “President of Bharat.”
This glossy 24-page magazine quickly disappeared from the foreign media center at the G20 Summit location, the India Mandapam in Pragati Maidan, and its fascinating title, “Bharat: The Mother of Democracy,” was explained on the second page. It is mentioned in the Constitution and in debates that took place in 1946–1948 before the Charter was ratified.
The most recent and explicit use of “Bharat” as the “official name of the country” in a magazine sent to foreign representatives of the G20 and journalists signals that this name, which is currently used alongside “India,” is the one that the nation wishes to be known by internationally. However, “India” will continue to be used as a domestic reference.
It’s possible that “Bharat” will be the name under which they take over as G20 president, but on Saturday, September 9 at 3:30 PM, they announced that Delhi’s proclamation had been accepted by “Bharat.”
The magazine is a special publication of the Central Government made available to G20 Summit delegates and media outlets. On page 2, under the headline “Democracy in Bharat Over Millennia,” it notes that the thriving Indian civilization dates back to the “Indus-Saraswati Civilization: 6000 BCE – 2000 BCE,” also known as the “Indus Valley Civilization.”
Further periods of Indian history are identified, including the Mahajanapadas and Republics (seventh and eighth centuries BCE), Buddhism (five hundred years BCE), and Jainism (six hundred and fifty years BCE), as well as the Greek explorer Megasthenes and the subsequent Kautilya and his political treatise, Arthashastra.
Following a brief discussion of the Vijayanagara Empire in South India (from the 14th to 16th century), the magazine moves on to a profile of a single Muslim monarch dubbed “The Enlightened Monarch.” It states, “The well-being of all people, regardless of their religious affiliation, should be a priority in effective administration. The journal writes of Akbar, the third Mughal emperor, “Akbar’s democratic thinking was extraordinary and far ahead of his time.” Akbar adopted such a democracy.
Every Prime Minister of the country from 1952 through 2023 is included in the magazine’s final article, along with the “peaceful transitions of power.” Read More
