India Behind The Lens (News Centre)

This was the day when Akhand Bharat got partitioned to Bharat and Pakistan ; A democratic state and a theocratic state. Many nationalist Organisations observe this day as Akhand Bharat Smrithi Divas.

Some people have huge problems with the word “Bharat”, not to mention their issues with the concept of Akhand Bharat. They say this is India, and we should use the word India more often as it is modern, and official. They ask us why we prefer Bharat over India. All we want to say is that our constitution, Article 1 says, India that is Bharat. Both the term India and Bharat is the name of our nation, officially. And if we study the constituent assembly debates we can see that some of the members who participated in the debate also preferred Bharat over India, since Bharat is the name of this nation since time Immemorial. The use of name Bharat comes in various scriptures like Mahabharat, Srimad Bhagawath,Vishnupuran etc etc. So constitutionally speaking the word Bharat, is the original name of our nation which Britishers’ called India.

From constituent assembly debates, some honorable members like Sri H.V.Kammath, Sri Harigovind Pant ,Sri Kamalapathy Tripathy and others preferred the usage of the word Bharat over India. Shri H.V Kammath moved the amendment that the Bharat should be preferred over India. Shri HariGovind Pant said “Bharat' or 'Bharat Varsha' is and has been the name of our country for ages according to our ancient history and tradition and in fact this word inspires enthusiasm and courage in its; I would, therefore, submit that we should have no hesitation at all in accepting this word. It will be a matter of great shame for us if we do not accept this word and have some other word for the name of our country”. He further exclaimed “I fail to understand, in view of all this, why we are reluctant to accept, from the core of our heart the word 'Bharat Varsha' as the name of our country.

Sri Kamalapathy Tripathy said “By the inclusion of the word 'Bharat' and by accepting it, we shall be able to give to this country a form and to give back to it its lost soul and we shall be able to protect it also. Bharat will be a great nation and will be able to serve humanity on a world wide scale.” These sane voices however were never heard. When we clear their doubts about Bharat, they ask you another Question. Why Akhand Bharat, was not Bharat a collection of many princely state. What is the use of still speaking about Partition and all, since the Pakistan is already born? It is right that when we talk about the history of last thousand years, Bharat was a collection of number of princely states. But it is undeniable fact that although the rulers of each part of this nation were different, people of this country regarded this nation as their own, as their motherland and sacred land.

Pakistan was created by dividing Bharat. Today Pakistan turns 65 and some say our nation also turns 65 tomorrow. But we must be intelligent enough to accept the simple fact that the Bharat, that is to say India, was never born, nor it will die, it existed from time immemorial. Like in Bhagavad Gita Sri Krishna talks about the soul,” अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो”, “the soul was never born, it always existed, ever existing, and it existed from time immemorial”. In our National song, Vande Mataram, Rishi Bankim Chandra says “त्वं हि प्राणः शरीरे “. This nation is our soul, which our sacred texts call it as Maatrabhoo, Pitrabhoo and Punyabhoo. You cannot simply determine its age.

It must be noted that the limbs can not exist without the main body. See the situation in places which was once part of the Akhand Bharat, in Pakistan, Afghanistan and many other places. The Islamic infilteration ensured, that the demography of that places are reversed. Now we can hardly find Hindus in those places. But what they achieved by changing demography ? Now one muslim sect kill another sect in those places. Finally the countries which were born with hate, their inherent hate against the open minded, universal philosophy founded in Bharat, will die and is dying with hate only. The Bharat shall certainly unite and rise to its past glory. We shall have open minded, all accepting , peaceful people once again from Aryadesh to Simhapura. Akhand Bharat Amar Rahe.

The reason why we remember this day as Akhand Bharat Smrithi Divas, I hope is now clear to readers. We should learn many things from past, future is only a reflection of past, it depends on the quality of the mirror called Present. The glorious past of our nation shall be, with our present constant and determined efforts, can become the glorious future too.

ॐ सहनाववतु सहनौभुनक्तु । सहवीर्यं करवावहै ।
तेजस्विनावधीतमस्तु । मा विद्विशावहै ॥ ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः