rajanmehta 4,056 Report post Posted June 25, 2011 Our Country Has No Official Name? Is it India, Bharat or Hindustan? Even the Home Ministry doesn't seem to know, reveals RTI query Source IS our country officially called India, Bharat or Hindustan? If you're a little unsure, take heart, for the Home Ministry doesn't know either. RTI activist Manoranjan Roy realised this when he filed a query with the Union Home Ministry seeking to clear his doubts on the subject and was told that they had 'no information on the subject'. "In English, the country is called India; it is referred to as Bharat in Hindi and in Urdu as Hindustan. If our country is called by so many different names, what is its original one? I filed the RTI query to find out exactly that," said Roy. The reply (copy with MiD DAY), however, shocked Roy and he now plans to move court. "If a commoner changes his name, he has to go through a legal process. However, here the government doesn't even know the official name of the country. I plan to file a PIL to find out if our country has an official name and a national language," he said. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
digitalnirvana 646 Report post Posted June 25, 2011 It is all of these of course. The same is for any state with an English name like West Bengal, which is also called Poschim Bongo in Bengali and Paschim Bangal in Hindi. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
raccoon 53 Report post Posted June 25, 2011 (edited) There is no dearth of entertainment. Instead of real issues people love nonsense like this. Its just like Bombay being known as Bombay in English, Mumbai in Marathi, Bambai in Hindi, etc. But no, it seems to confuse the constricted so-called patriotic mind to no end. He will have everyone to calling it Mumbai only. Else he will go on a rampage and break his beloved Mumbai's property and bash up its inhabitants. Germans call Germany Deutschland and France as Frankreich, etc. Indians speaking HIndi would call them Francisi, etc., etc. How about they all file PILs or sue each other or something? Edited June 25, 2011 by raccoon Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rajanmehta 4,056 Report post Posted June 25, 2011 Question is about "Official Name" if there is one which the Home Ministry does not seem to know.. And does India, Bharat & Hindustan sound the same, convey the same meaning/interpretation if it has any? Unlike Poschim Bongo and Paschim Bangal which is just the translation of the English word "West Bengal" in bengali & hindi.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sougatadc 358 Report post Posted June 25, 2011 ^^^ In today's scenario, if we consider ourselves patriotic enough, we will see our 'Bharat' as a nation united from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from Gujarat to Nagaland. But India internationally is different as many countries are showing India's map differently. Some are excluding the Akshai-China and POK and some other are excluding Arunachal Pradesh. I recall Encyclopædia Britannica used to feature India's map without full Kashmir and Indian Govt. made it mandatory to stamp on the first page of the volume 'I' a sentence "The map of India shown in this volume is not correct". How many mouths can be shut in this way? Rajan ji, is the name 'Hindusthan' a bit blasphemous? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
digitalnirvana 646 Report post Posted June 25, 2011 (edited) Rajan bhai Bhārat along with India is the official English name of the country. Hindustan was in use synonymously with India during the British Raj. Today, Hindustān does not stand as the Official name for India. Please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of_India http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Official_names_of_India these should be sent to the home ministry if they are not knowing. India as it is now came into existence because of the British, Bharat and Hindustan had geographically different borders than India. Sougata da the Hindu in Hindustan means the land east of the Sindhu or Indus, not land of Hindu religion so nothing blasphemous in it. Aksai Chin is part of China, India contested it because the Nehru interpretation was the borders should be geographical i.e. the Himalayas rather than the McMahon line, we got well beaten and it is under China. POK is different issue but for practical purposes it is with Pakistan, POK is called PAK Pakistan Administered Kashmir now by Google thereby making it more legitimate. You missed pointing half of Arunachal Pradesh is with China. But our leaders are not bothered so nothing can be done on it. Edited June 25, 2011 by dipanlahiri Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sougatadc 358 Report post Posted June 25, 2011 Dipan, correct you are. I know 'Hindusthan' is nothing to do with Hindus only. I wanted to know why Rajan ji opined India, Bharat & Hindustan sound different, not conveying the same meaning/interpretation. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
commonman 228 Report post Posted June 25, 2011 The constitution calls it Indian Republic or Bhartya Ganarajya. So that should be the official name. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sougatadc 358 Report post Posted June 25, 2011 ^ Yes, that's it. So, while it is there in the constitution itself, why on Earth they couldn't answer a simple RTI question? No need to go to the Court for this. The answer is simple and clear. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rajanmehta 4,056 Report post Posted June 25, 2011 @sougatadc When i say India, Bharat & Hindustan sound different not conveying the same meaning/interpretation, it's not my personal "Opinion". For me all 3 means "My Country". It is more of a pointer to the interpretation given by the so called pseudo secularists in this country who have given it different colors and reinforced greatly wrong characterisation of all 3 at a sub conscious level through many mediums.. When one say "India" or Indian, "presumption" is you are liberal, well educated, secular. When one say "Bharat" or Bharatiya, "belief" is that you are fascist, non secular, right wing mostly not well informed and part of a "herd" that is presumed to be a great threat to the secular fabric of this country. & Finally when one say "Hindustan", "conviction" is that you are bordering towards insanity and people like you are more dangerous to the health of this country than terrorists. This is what i meant.. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ravi_patent 28 Report post Posted June 26, 2011 i completely agree with you rajan..and that is the reason why Home Ministry didnot know the answer Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sougatadc 358 Report post Posted June 26, 2011 I know Rajan ji you are clear in your views. I didn't mean that your indications were bad. However, personally I like the name Bharat. I don't know how you say there is belief of fascism and profanation in the word 'Bharat'. Who spread this idea? I never heard this. The Japanese call their country 'Nippon'. Is there any fascism in that? I didn't understand why and how the word 'Hindustan' is so bad if it is a derivative of Indus, a land east of Indus or Sindhu, as Dipan has explained. Only if it sounds to contain a particular religion's name, it cannot be 'insane', Rajan ji. Can you call the newspapers 'The Hindu' or 'Hindustan Times' as insane or dangerous? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Venkatagiri 53 Report post Posted June 26, 2011 Why keep ourselves limited to borders or language? The whole world is our country and the all languages are our languages. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
