New Delhi: Amidst the ongoing debate surrounding the use of “President of Bharat” instead of “President of India” on G20 dinner invitations sent out by Rashtrapati Bhavan, an old Samajwadi Party manifesto from 2004 has resurfaced. The manifesto, led by the late Mulayam Singh Yadav, pledged to replace “India” with “Bharat” in the Constitution if the party came to power. This revelation poses a challenge for the newly formed opposition alliance INDIA, which is divided on the use of “Bharat.”

Mulayam Singh Yadav’s vision

The 2004 Samajwadi Party manifesto, released prior to the Lok Sabha elections in Lucknow, advocated changing the reference to “India” in the Constitution to “Bharat.” Mulayam Singh Yadav, as the then Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, had also addressed this matter in the state assembly, expressing reservations about the use of “India.”

The ideological roots

Mulayam Singh Yadav’s stance was aligned with the socialist principles of ideologue Ram Manohar Lohia, who advocated shedding colonial influences, including the use of English, in favor of Hindi as the official language. Lohia believed that English created a divide between the educated and the uneducated, hindering original thinking and fostering a sense of un-belonging.

The SP manifesto’s call for Bharat

The SP manifesto argued that India was historically referred to as Bharat and was renamed during the British colonial rule. It emphasized the need to revert to “Bharat” to uphold the nation’s dignity.

Potential political implications

The revelation of the 2004 manifesto presents the BJP-led NDA with an opportunity to challenge the opposition’s stance on using the acronym INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance). There are reports that the Centre might introduce a resolution to officially change India’s name to Bharat during the upcoming special parliamentary session commencing on September 18.

The BJP’s perspective

The BJP has criticized the opposition alliance for using INDIA as its acronym, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling it the ‘Ghamandi’ (arrogant) alliance. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has referred to it as the INDI alliance in his political speeches.

A focus on farmers and the rural poor

Leaders within the SP have clarified that Mulayam’s call to rename the country “Bharat” in the 2004 manifesto aimed to prioritize the welfare of farmers and rural communities, emphasizing subsidies on fertilizers and support for farmers. They argue that the BJP’s current push to rename the nation is primarily politically motivated.

A challenge to Mayawati

Observers suggest that Mulayam’s focus on “India” in the Constitution during 2004 may have been directed at targeting B.R. Ambedkar, the chairman of the drafting committee, to create political challenges, particularly for Mayawati.

As the nation debates the shift from ‘India’ to ‘Bharat,’ the resurfacing of the 2004 Samajwadi Party manifesto reveals the complex history and ideology behind this linguistic choice and its potential political implications.