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Synopsis

The Delhi High Court, on Monday, issued notice in a petition filed by a resident of Delhi, Namaha seeking directions against the Government to amend the constitution by replacing the term ‘India’ with ‘Bharat/Hindustan’ to allow citizens to shed colonial influence. 

The bench of Justice Sachin Datta granted time to the government to obtain instructions and listed the matter for March 12, 2025. 

Previously, Namaha had approached the Supreme Court with a similar request, urging the Centre to amend the Constitution. In 2020, the apex court had directed that the petition be treated as a representation and considered by the relevant ministries.  

As per the plea, the petitioner had no alternative but to move the High Court since no response had been received from the authorities regarding any decision on the representation.  

The plea sought an amendment to Article 1 of the Constitution, which presently describes the country as “India, that is Bharat.” It proposed that the provision be revised to declare Bharat or Hindustan as a Union of States.  

Citing the 1948 Constituent Assembly debate on Article 1 of the then-draft Constitution, the plea had emphasized that there had been a significant demand at the time to name the country ‘Bharat’ or ‘Hindustan.’ The petition asserted that the present moment was opportune for officially recognizing the nation by its original and authentic name, particularly in light of various Indian cities being renamed to reflect their historical and cultural heritage.

For Petitioner: Senior Advocate Sanjeev Sagar with Advocates Ashutosh Thakur and Aabhas Parmal
For Respondent: Standing Counsel Nidhi Raman, Government Pleader Arnav Mittal with Advocates  Zubin Singh, Sandeep Kumar Mahapatra, Sugam Kumar Jha, Trbhuvan, Raghav Tandon, Mahesh Baluni and Pramod Gupta
Case Title: Namaha v Union Of India (W.P.(C) 1433/2025)
[Inputs: The Hindu]