Kerala governor backs 'Bharat'; says 'India' name given by others
Kerala governor's statement comes amid a heated row over the NCERT proposal. Opposition parties have alleged BJP is taking "desperate steps" out of fear of INDIA bloc
Kerala governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Thursday (October 26) backed the NCERT panel's suggestion to replace 'India' with 'Bharat' in school textbooks.
Speaking to the media in Thiruvananthapuram, Khan said the name 'India' was given by 'others' whereas 'Bharat' was a name chosen by the people of the country.
He said nobody has proposed making any changes to the Constitution.
"What they have said, if I have read it correctly, is that in official communication, we will use the word Bharat more and I think if you look at it, Bharat is the name which we have given to ourselves. India is a name which has been given to us by others," Khan said.
Khan's statement comes amid a heated row over the NCERT proposal.
Leaders of Opposition parties have objected to the recommendation, alleging that the ruling BJP aims to alter history, taking such "desperate steps" out of fear of being defeated by INDIA bloc.
INDIA bloc
Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said the word 'India' evoked as much pride as 'Bharat' but the BJP wants "to indoctrinate an entire generation into hating a word we grew up feeling a lot of pride towards".
There has been a raging debate over the government using 'Bharat' instead of 'India' at international events after Opposition parties named their grouping as the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).
(With agency inputs)