Bharat India: Before the G-20 summit, a ruckus has started in the country regarding the name India and Bharat. This entire debate started when ‘President of India’ was written instead of ‘President of India’ in the invitation card from Rashtrapati Bhavan. These invitation letters were sent to foreign guests and some Indian leaders and others for the G-20 summit going to be held in India from September 9. This debate started during the day yesterday and by evening, Union Minister Anurag Thakur made it clear that the government is not calling a special session of Parliament to change the name of India. Anurag calls this a rumour. Amidst the ongoing debate in the country, a question is arising that if the name of the country is changed, how much will it cost?
How much will it cost to change the name?
There are a number of costs involved in the name change process, including:
Legal Process: To change the name of the country, a law has to be passed in the Parliament. It will cost a lot to make and pass this law.
Publicity: After changing the name of the country, it will need to be publicized across the world. This promotion will also cost a lot.
Change of Identity: After changing the name of the country, the name will be required to be changed in all government documents, correspondence and other identity cards. Changing this identity will also cost a lot.
According to an estimate, changing the name of the country will cost approximately Rs 14 thousand crores. This expenditure will be very heavy on the country’s budget.
Arguments in favor of changing the name
Some people in favor of changing the name argue that it reflects India’s cultural heritage. They say that the name of India is “Bharat”, which comes from the Sanskrit word “Bharatavarsha”. “Bharatvarsha” means “country of India”.
Some people in favor of changing the name also argue that it will give India a different identity around the world. They say the name “India” is a British colonial legacy.
Arguments against changing the name
Some people against changing the name argue that it is an unnecessary expense. They say that changing the name of the country will not improve the economic or political condition of India.
Some people against changing the name also argue that it can destroy the unity of the country. They say that India is a multilingual and multicultural country. Changing the name of the country may increase differences between different communities.
Why the matter of changing the name?
Let us tell you that India is not the first country where there is talk of changing the name. This has happened many times in history. Such changes have happened before in many countries from time to time. Every time some reason or the other is given behind this. But every change brings with it some additional expenses. For example, if we shift to a new place or get the house repaired, then we have to spend extra. According to a report, when the name of Allahabad was changed in Uttar Pradesh, the state government had to spend more than Rs 300 crore. Same thing will happen if the name of the country is changed. If the name is changed, then all the institutions, website, documents and many other big changes will have to be made and all this will cost a lot.
How much can the total cost be?
According to the report of Outlook India, if the name of the country is changed then it may cost around Rs 14304 crore. Now the question arises that how this figure was found out, then let us tell you that this figure has been calculated from the formula suggested by South African lawyer Darren Ollivier. Actually, in the year 2018, the name of Swaziland was changed to Eswatini. He then estimated that the country’s government had to spend $ 60 million to rename Swaziland to Eswatini.
conclusion
The decision to change the name of the country is an important decision. There is a need to listen carefully to the arguments of all parties before taking this decision.