Washington, Nov 24 : India is Bharat and Bharat is India. But West Asia is not Middle East, or the other way around because although geographically contiguous, they are a world apart: the former is a geopolitical entity and the latter a byproduct of centuries of colonialism.External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and his ministry have been using the two terms interchangeably for the region in a marked departure from the past when the Indian officialdom went with "West Asia" from the time the ministry was created, according to anecdotal accounts cited by past and present diplomats.

"We are gathered to discuss the deeply concerning situation in the Middle East, with a particular focus on Gaza," Jaishankar said at a virtual meeting of BRICS leaders on Tuesday. "South Africa has rightly taken the initiative to convene the BRICS, and also to include those who would be part of the group in due course. I convey Prime Minister Modi's greetings to all the leaders, virtually present."

Two weeks earlier, the minister used the same term in a speech to Italian lawmakers in Rome. "We also are now watching with increasing concern; Senator, you referred to the Middle East, I think both of you, and where that would go, I think is a very difficult question to answer. Obviously, all of us will have an interest in ensuring that there is no escalation."

The India-US joint statement after the 2+2 ministerial that took place in New Delhi on November 10 also dumped "West Asia" for "Middle East", and multiple times. Here is the first of them: "The Ministers discussed developments in the Indo-Pacific, Middle East, Ukraine among other regions."

Joint statements in the past have reflected the Indian preference for "West Asia". "Building on ongoing consultations between India and the United States on East Asia, Central Asia, and West Asia, and the trilateral dialogue mechanisms with Afghanistan and Japan respectively, the Leaders agreed to expand their consultations to include a dialogue on the Indian Ocean Region, to deepen coordination on cross-cutting issues including maritime security and conservation of natural resources," said the joint statement issued by the two countries after a meeting between then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Barack Obama in 2013.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself seems to prefer "West Asia", demonstrating continuity. "When I had proposed this virtual summit, there was no forecast of what the global situation would be today," Prime Minister Modi said in his opening remarks at the virtual summit of the G20 leaders on Wednesday.

He went on to add, using "West Asia".