G20 Summit: Bharat country tag at Modi’s table grabs attention
President Droupadi Murmu’s invite for a G20 dinner in the name of the “President of Bharat” triggered speculation that the government planned to change the country’s name
The Bharat country tag at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s table as he made his opening remarks at the G20 Summit on Saturday grabbed much attention days after President Droupadi Murmu sent an invite for a dinner as part of the event in the name of the “President of Bharat”.
The reference to Bharat in the invite triggered speculation that the government planned to change the country’s official name particularly since it has called a special session of Parliament later this month without specifying its agenda.
Government functionaries linked Murmu’s priority to Bharat to coming out of the colonial mindset. References to Bharat were made including in documents relating to Modi’s recent visits abroad including Indonesia this week.
The Opposition linked the references to Bharat to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s nervousness about the formation of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) ahead of the 2024 national polls.
In his opening remarks, Modi called on converting the global trust deficit post-Covid pandemic into trust and confidence while underlining the significance of the current period of the 21st century and the need for showing a new direction to the world. Modi said the world faced a new challenge of trust deficit following the Covid pandemic and unfortunately, it has been further deepened. “But we must remember that if we can defeat a pandemic like Covid, we can also overcome the challenge of this trust deficit.”
Modi said he was honoured to welcome the African Union as a permanent member of G20. “This will strengthen the G20 and also strengthen the voice of the Global South.”
India assumed G20’s presidency in December and has since held a series of meetings related to 32 sectors. The events will culminate with the meeting of heads of the governments and states of the world’s 20 largest economies in New Delhi over the weekend.
Modi underlined the importance for G20 of moving forward by fulfilling all their responsibilities with a human-centric approach. “This is the time when the age-old challenges are demanding new solutions from us. This is the time for all of us to walk together,” he said. “Therefore, the mantra of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas’ can become a guiding light for us all.”
In an interview with moneycontrol.com ahead of the Summit, Modi said his government’s “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas” approach has yielded great dividends domestically and that it was the guiding principle in global relations as well.
Modi fleshed out the approach. “Sabka Saath – bringing the world together to face collective challenges that affect all of us. Sabka Vikas – taking human-centric growth to every country and every region. Sabka Vishwas – winning the trust of every stakeholder through recognition of their aspirations and representation of their voices. Sabka Prayas – utilising every country’s unique strength and skill in furthering the global good.”