Kangana Ranaut has said that she does not mind the name India for our country, but added that it is not a name she prefers to use nowadays. She was speaking with Times Now when the actor shared her views on the Bharat versus India debate that has been taking place on social media for a few days now. (Also read: Kangana Ranaut reacts to name change buzz, says she predicted it years ago)
Kangana used to wear shorts, prefers saris now
Kangana told the news channel that the opposition alliance decided to take up the name INDIA, despite many members of that group having been accused of corruption.
She added that no one objected because we live in a democracy. She then said that she used to wear shorts and such Western dresses in an attempt to avoid looking Indian. “I wanted to look anything but Indian. That was because our country was perceived as a poor nation then. Now, I am proud of my culture and now, I feel like wearing saris. So, when you realise the importance of your own culture, you have the option of embracing it. Our country is going towards a higher conscience, where the citizens may choose to be who they want to be. No one needs to impose these on you.”
Why she prefers saying Bharat
“I now feel better saying Bharat but there are times when I say India, when slip of tongue happens. I do not hate it, nor do I abhor it. That, too, is our past,” she said, adding that she is not a politically aware person and does not even watch news.
Kangana’s social media post on the name-change debate
Earlier this month, Kangana had shared her views on the debate on social media. She posted a 2021 Hindustan Times report in which her statement was published. She had then suggested that the country should do away from the name India and must be thereafter called ‘Bharat’ instead.
In a long post, she wrote, “What is there to love in this name? First of all, they couldn’t pronounce ‘Sindhu’ toh usko bigad ke ‘ Indus’ kar diya. Phir kabhi Hindos kabhi Indos kuch bhi gol mol karke India bana diya. (They turned Sindhu into Indus. Then Hindos became Indos) From the time of Mahabharata, all the kingdoms who participated in the Great War of Kurukshetra came under one continent called Bharat, so why were they calling us Indu Sindu??”
“Also the name Bharat is so meaningful, what is the meaning of India ? I know they called Red Indians that because in olden English, Indian simply meant a slave. They named us Indians because that was our new identity given to us by British. Even in olden days’ dictionary, Indian’s meaning was mentioned as slave. They recently changed it. Also, it’s not our name. We are Bhartiya, not Indians,” she added.
