Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for the United Nations to reform in order to reflect the realities of the 21st century and ensure the representation of important voices, ahead of hosting the G20 summit in India. Modi also expressed support for the African Union to become a full member of the G20.
The Indian government is considering changing the country's name from 'India' to 'Bharat' through a constitutional amendment, which would serve as a symbolic representation of the nation's cultural identity and move away from the colonial legacy.
The Indian government's use of the term "Bharat" instead of "India" in official invitations for the G20 summit has sparked controversy and debate over the country's identity and historical associations.
The Indian government is taking a different approach to the G20 summit, aiming to make it a national endeavor and involve different parts of the country, according to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
The Congress party alleges that the Modi government is undermining the unity of the country by referring to the President as "President of Bharat" in a G20 dinner invite, sparking concerns that the government may remove the name 'India' and recognize 'Bharat' as the official name of the country.
Indian President Droupadi Murmu's use of the term "President of Bharat" instead of "President of India" in a dinner invitation for the G20 summit has sparked controversy over the distortion of the country's name.
India is hosting the G20 summit as Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks to establish himself as a global leader, but activist Arundhati Roy criticizes the event as a vanity event for Modi and raises concerns about the treatment of minorities in India.
The invitations to a state dinner to mark Indiaâs hosting of this yearâs G20 have led to speculation about a possible renaming of the country, with some suggesting that the ruling BJP is responding to opposition parties adopting the acronym INDIA and that there is a push to change the name due to its association with colonial slavery.
The G20 leaders have adopted the New Delhi Declaration, emphasizing economic growth, sustainable development goals, green development, and multilateralism, while hailing Prime Minister Modi's leadership in shaping the G20 agenda.
The 2023 New Delhi Summit of the G20 has been a success, with India demonstrating its ability to organize a global event; however, the summit's ability to produce substantial solutions to world problems, particularly the geopolitical crisis, is questionable. The summit managed to come up with a joint leaders' declaration, including language on Ukraine that accommodates all shades of opinion. The summit also focused on issues such as debt restructuring, climate change, renewable energy, artificial intelligence, and terrorism financing. However, the effectiveness of these actions will depend on whether countries actually implement them.
India's main opposition leader, Rahul Gandhi, has criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi's plans to change the country's name from India to Bharat as "absurd," calling it a diversion tactic amid controversy over financial violations by billionaire Gautam Adani and allegations of human rights abuses.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may be planning to rebrand India as "Bharat", a name associated with Hindu nationalism and resentment towards colonial rule, in an attempt to distract from opposition parties and their coalition ahead of the general election in 2024, although implementing the change would be difficult and costly.
