Is India about to change its name? Prime Minister Modi is fueling the G20 rumor mill. Ten people died in a gas accident in northern China

During his opening speech at the G20 summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sat behind a sign with the inscription “Bharat”. This is likely to further fuel speculation about a change in the country’s name. ‘Bharat’ is an old Sanskrit word for India that, for example, is used synonymously in the constitution and is also widely used by the population.

Some radical Hindus have difficulty with the official name of the country, India. They claim that it was popularized by the British colonial rulers and is therefore a symbol of slavery. According to ancient Hindu scriptures, ‘Bharat’ was the name of a legendary king who is said to have lived in what is now India.

And Modi’s government is currently trying to distance itself from its colonial past and focus on national pride. In India, which is predominantly Hindu but multi-religious, being Indian is often equated with being Hindu.

Prior to the summit in the capital New Delhi, an invitation to an official G20 dinner made headlines in this context. The hostess, President Draupadi Murmu, was not called the President of India, but the ‘President of Bharat’.

The African Union becomes a member of the G20

Against the backdrop of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the G20 summit of leading industrialized and emerging countries has begun in India. According to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the African Union will be admitted as a member of the G20. At the start of the G20 summit in New Delhi on Saturday, Modi said the group of leading industrialized and emerging countries agreed on this.

In the capital New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed US President Joe Biden and Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) to the two-day meeting on Saturday morning (local time).

Scholz continued to wear an eye patch after his jogging accident. He landed in the government Airbus “Konrad Adenauer” around 8 a.m. local time. The Chancellor is accompanied by Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP).

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov came to represent Russian President Vladimir Putin, but he stumbled during the greeting. Chinese head of state Xi Jinping is represented by Premier Li Qiang.

“One Earth, One Family, One Future”

Due to a dispute over a clear condemnation of Russia’s war of aggression, it was unclear whether the states would be able to agree on a joint final declaration as usual. The West is confronted with an alliance between China and Russia in the negotiations.

At the summit, host Modi wants to strengthen the role of the global South under the motto “One Earth, one Family, one Future” (German: “One Earth, one family, one future”). Other topics include climate protection and World Bank reform.

The G20 Round group includes the European Union and 19 of the world’s strongest economies. (lion/sda/dpa)