India versus Bharat: (Re)naming and Identity

Over the last three decades, critical studies from several disciplines have increasingly pointed to the role played by place-names as powerful tools to create place—i.e. identity and sense of belonging—out of space by inscribing ideological and political messages on our everyday maps (Azaryhau 1996; Berg and Kearn 1996; Berg and Vuolteenaho 2009). This is especially true of postcolonial or post-authoritarian societies where the politics of memory becomes all the more instrumental in times of political and social transition. In this respect, there is no arguing that India is a telling example of the power that can be attached to names. Most notably, the very name of the country, a sensitive issue at the time of Independence, has recently drawn attention again. This renewed controversy underscores the socio-political relevance of toponymic decisions in this country.