Jaishankar takes ‘Bharat’ to United Nations

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government on Tuesday took its promotion of 'Bharat' as the name of the country to the United Nations with the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar commencing his address to the General Assembly of the international organisation with a 'Namaste from Bharat' greeting.

He concluded his 18-minute-long speech at the 78^th General Assembly of the United Nations by defining “India that is Bharat” as “a civilizational policy” that embraced “modernity” and brought “both tradition and technology equally confidently to the table”.

It was during the 18^th G20 summit in New Delhi earlier this month that the Modi Government first started promoting “Bharat” as the name of the country in the international forums. An invitation for a dinner at the Rashtrapati Bhavan was sent to the G20 delegates and other guests with the host being mentioned as “President of Bharat”. It prompted the Congress and the other opposition parties to allege that the BJP-led government was trying to drop India from the name of the country. They called it a move by the Modi Government in response to the opposition parties naming their alliance as I.N.D.I.A.

When Modi chaired the G20 summit on September 9 and 10, the plaque in front of him also read “Prime Minister Bharat”.   

 Jaishankar on Tuesday took it to the United Nations, as he highlighted the programmes being implemented by the Modi Government. A spokesperson of the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres earlier this month said that the international organisation would consider recognising the change of India’s name to Bharat if such a change was officially communicated to it by the government of the country as it happened in case of Turkey, which changed its name to Türkiye” last year.

“India has entered the Amrit Kaal, a quarter century where greater progress and transformation awaits us. We are confident that our talent and creativity, now so visibly unleashed, will power us forward. The world saw a glimpse of what is to come when our Chandrayaan-3 landed on the moon,” the external affairs minister said.

“Today,” he said, “our message to the world is in digitally enabled governance and delivery, in the widening ambit of amenities and services, in rapidly growing infrastructure, and in our energetic Startup culture. It is visible too in vibrant cultural expressions, such as in the arts, yoga, wellness, and lifestyle.”

He also referred to the “pathbreaking legislation to reserve one-third of the seats for women” in the legislatures of the country.

Jaishankar said that the programs underway in India highlighted the transformational role of digital delivery of public goods. “It has facilitated scaling up, it has enhanced efficiency and it has combated corruption. The national objective of Leaving No One Behind is forging ahead in so many dimensions,” the external affairs minister told the UN General Assembly. “Moreover, the democratization of technology has opened mindsets, instilled confidence and inspired innovations.”

“I speak for a society where ancient traditions of democracy have struck deep modern roots. As a result, our thinking, approaches and actions are now more grounded and authentic,” he said at the end, adding: “As a civilizational polity that embraces modernity, we bring both tradition and technology equally confidently to the table. It is this fusion that today defines India, that is Bharat.”