While filling a form why do we write 'Indian' and not 'Hindustani' in the nationality column?

Because the nation is India, not Hindustan

You should be proud living in a country with four names. Whole of Arabia calls India as Hind, Europe calls India and Russia and her neighbouring countries call as Hindustan, hence the nationals called Hindi, Indian and Hindustani.It was Raj Kapoor & Nargis who introduced "indians" as Hindustani to Russians with their song Mera Joota Hai Japani, Phir Bhee Dil Hai Hindustani. They got the first ever international award from outside, until that time Russians did not know where India was, being the new country coming on the world map.

Well in this context writing your nationality on a form printed in English, you must write Indian, if you are filling a form in Arabic and sending it to any of the Arabian country, writing HINDI will suffice, as they still call you Hindi not Hindustani. By the way filling a form and sending over to Russia, Hindustani is enough, they still do not know what Indian is, perhaps they will take you as Red Indian or from State of Indiana. Calling yourself as Hindustani while in India, that is perfectly alright but not in English printed form, of course you can pick your choice if the form is printed in hindi. Just one thing bothers me, do you feel ashamed to call yourself as "Bharati" which you really are?

Because there is not any status of Hindustan. The Hindustan was alive before freedom but when its becomes in two parts one called Pakistan and another called India. So we write our nationality as Indian instead of Hindustani if any way take both countries to one it would be again Hindustan

Hindustani, to many Indians, means localised to UP, Bihar, MP etc. Neither is Hindustani legally / internationally accepted, nor does it convey the true secular nature of the Indian. Agreed that the word India is also a derivative of Hind, but "INDIA" is definitely more elegant. I'll stick to it. Thanks.

Very apt. The problem lies or rather started with our Netas. Ever heard the cricket match commentary. Whenever someone from India starts to comment, he will refer Indian players as 'Indian' not our team. Whereas other commentators will refer thier players directly as theirs. It is high time that we start an awareness drive and call ourselves as Hindustani and not as an Indian.

Because Indian is anglicised and Hindustani is well, Hindustani

Boy2 don't even know, I'm a blacknese... but think the reason why they wrote Indian is because India is nationality and Hindustani is their religion... I hope i get the answer?

..It is simple .because it means you are Hindi. But as you know there are many languages.What about the Telugu or Tamil speaking people. I think because of the many languages ,Indian is used instead of Hindustani

The River "SIND" was known as "Hind" by the Persians (due to sound shift of s>>h in Persian) and "Indus" by the visiting Greeks (due to a similar sound shift). Persians and then Arabs thus took the word root "Hind" to refer to things from that part of the world, while Europeans, influenced by the classical Greek, received "Ind-" type words.

It is important to realize that the coming Muslims (mughals, etc), of Arab/Persian/Turk origin refered to people of this region by the adjective "HINDU". This did not mean a religion, it just meant people native to HIND. In the realy days, even Muslims who were native to the region were called "Hindu", as Hindu essentially meant "Indian" (regardless of religion). In the Persian type of speech, the name for the land of such Hindu people became Hindustan.

The English had received the name of "India" from the Greeks. The people native to South Asia probably had MANY names for the land, including the ancient name Bhaarat.

Because Indian work belongs to India and all over the world known by India not by Hindusthan so we dont mention Hindusthani

because if you wright Hindustani then no one else would understand that except for you.

Hindustani is used before our independence. and that's Hindi word.

British people gave us that name(India)

because they could not pronounce Hindustan.