SC to hear plea seeking replacement of word India with 'Bharat' on June 2

The Supreme Court will hear on June 2 a plea which wants the government to amend the Constitution and replace the word "India with" 'Bharat' or 'Hindustan' for the country, claiming it will "instill a sense of pride in our own nationality."

The plea has sought a direction to the government to take appropriate steps to bring amendment in Article 1 of the Constitution, which deals with name and territory of the Union, to the effect that "the same refers to the country as Bharat/Hindustan, to the exclusion of India".

The petition was listed for hearing on Friday before the apex court but it got deleted from the list as Chief Justice of India (CJI) S A Bobde was not available.

As per a notice uploaded on the top court website, this matter would be listed for hearing on June 2 before a bench headed by the CJI.

The plea, filed by a Delhi-based man, has claimed that such an amendment will "ensure the citizens of this country to get over the colonial past".

"The removal of the English name though appears symbolic will instill a sense of pride in our own nationality, especially for the future generations to come. In fact, the word India being replaced with Bharat would justify the hard-fought freedom by our ancestors," the plea claimed.

Referring to the 1948 Constituent assembly debate on Article 1 of the then draft constitution, the plea said even at that time there was a "strong wave" in favour of naming the country as 'Bharat' or 'Hindustan'.

"However, now the time is ripe to recognize the country by its original and authentic name i.e. Bharat especially when our cities have been renamed to identify with the Indian ethos," it said.