The G20 Summit saw Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s table tagged with the country name “Bharat”, which drew significant attention. This came after President Droupadi Murmu extended a G20 dinner invitation in the name of the “President of Bharat”. This sparked speculation about a potential change in the country’s official name, especially given an upcoming special session of Parliament with an unspecified agenda.
Government officials have linked Murmu’s preference for “Bharat” to a desire to move away from colonial influences. References to “Bharat” have been included in documents related to Modi’s recent foreign visits, including a trip to Indonesia.
The opposition has associated these references to “Bharat” with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s apprehension about the formation of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) ahead of the 2024 national elections.
In his opening remarks at the G20 Summit, Modi emphasized transforming the global trust deficit following the Covid pandemic into trust and confidence. He highlighted the importance of this period in the 21st century and the need to provide new direction to the world.
India took over the G20 presidency in December and has since conducted meetings across 32 sectors. These meetings will culminate with a gathering of heads of governments and states from the world’s 20 largest economies in New Delhi over the weekend.
Modi stressed on the importance of a human-centric approach for G20 and fulfilling all responsibilities. He said, “This is the time when age-old challenges are demanding new solutions from us. This is the time for all of us to walk together.”
In an interview prior to the Summit, Modi elaborated on his government’s approach of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas”. He explained that it involves bringing the world together to face collective challenges, taking human-centric growth to every country and region, winning stakeholders’ trust through recognition of their aspirations and voices, and utilizing every country’s unique strengths and skills for global good.
