Shillong: The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) has opposed the “proposed” move by the central government to change the name of the country from India to Bharat.
KSU general secretary Donald V Thabah said that the move was a political ploy by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
He pointed out that the word “India” is not native to all communities in the country, while “Bharat” is a Sanskrit word.
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Thabah questioned how a country with such diversity could accept such a name change.
He also expressed concern that the BJP was planning to do away with the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and replace them with new laws.
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The KSU leader said that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government was trying to change everything that had been in place since independence in 1947.
He warned that the federal structure of the country should not be disturbed.
Thabah also alleged that the BJP was trying to change the historical concepts of the various indigenous communities, including the Khasis. He said that this was unacceptable.
The KSU has called for a public meeting on September 10 to discuss the issue of the name change.