Tue Mar 11 19:39:00 UTC 2025: **RSS Leader Calls for India to be Referred to Only as ‘Bharat’**
NOIDA, March 12, 2025 – Dattatreya Hosabale, the newly elected General Secretary of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has urged the public to refer to India solely as “Bharat,” arguing that the country should not have two names – one in Hindi and another in English.
Speaking at a book launch on Monday, Mr. Hosabale pointed to examples like the Constitution of India being referred to as “Bharat ka Samvidhan” in Hindi and the Reserve Bank of India being termed the “Bharatiya Reserve Bank.” He questioned the need for a dual naming convention, asserting that no other country employs such a system.
“The country’s name is Bharat, so let’s call it Bharat. India is just the English name,” Mr. Hosabale stated. He further criticized the prioritization of English over Indian mother tongues, attributing this to a lingering colonial mindset instilled during British rule. He argued that this “English-ism” fosters a sense of inferiority among those who don’t speak English fluently, perpetuating the dominance of English-medium education. Mr. Hosabale called for a “freedom from the colonisation of the mind.”
Mr. Hosabale’s comments follow the use of “Republic of Bharat” on the G20 invitation cards issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan and the Prime Minister’s Office, lending weight to his call for a linguistic shift.
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