The Gandhi Peace Prize for 2021 will be conferred on Gita Press, Gorakhpur, in recognition of its “outstanding contribution towards social, economic and political transformation through non-violent and other Gandhian methods”, according to an official statement. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Gita Press for winning the prize and commended its contribution to the field.
“I congratulate Gita Press, Gorakhpur on being conferred the Gandhi Peace Prize 2021. They have done commendable work over the last 100 years towards furthering social and cultural transformations among the people. @GitaPress,” PM Modi tweeted.
The jury headed by Prime Minister Modi unanimously decided to select Gita Press as the recipient of the Gandhi Peace Prize, said the statement issued by the Ministry of Culture. Modi recalled the contribution of Gita Press in promoting the Gandhian ideals of peace and social harmony. He observed that the conferment of the Gandhi Peace Prize on Gita Press, on completion of hundred years of its establishment, is a recognition of the work done by the institution in community service, the statement said.
Established in 1923, Gita Press is one of the world’s largest publishers, having published 41.7 crore books in 14 languages, including 16.21 crore Shrimad Bhagvad Gita, it said. “Gandhi Peace Prize 2021 recognises the important and unparalleled contribution of Gita Press, in contributing to collective upliftment of humanity, which personifies Gandhian living in true sense,” the statement said.
What is the Gandhi Peace Prize?
The Gandhi Peace Prize is an annual award given by the Government of India. It is named after Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation. The award started in 1995 to celebrate Gandhi’s 125th birth anniversary. It is given to people and organizations that have made important contributions to society, the economy, and politics using non-violence and methods inspired by Gandhi.
The award includes a cash prize of Rs 1 crore, a plaque, and a certificate. Anyone can receive the award, regardless of their nationality, race, religion, or gender. The Prime Minister of India and other leaders, decide who receives the award each year.
About the Gita Press
According to reports, Gita Press is a famous publisher of Hindu religious books. It is located in Gorakhpur, and was established in 1923 by Jaya Dayal Goyanka and Ghanshyam Das Jalan with the aim of promoting the principles of ‘Sanatana Dharma’. Hanuman Prasad Poddar, also known as “Bhaiji,” was the editor of its well-known magazine called Kalyan.
The press started publishing in 1927 with a small circulation of 1,600 copies. Over time, it became very popular, and by 2012, it was printing around 250,000 copies. The Gita Press has a vast collection of manuscripts, including more than 3,500 texts and over 100 interpretations of the Bhagwad Gita, a sacred Hindu scripture.
The founders of Gita Press, Jaya Dayal Goyanka, Hanuman Prasad Poddar, and Ghanshyam Das Jalan, established it as a part of Gobind Bhawan Karyalaya. It was registered as a society under the Societies Registration Act, and its first printing machine was acquired five months after its establishment. The press has published over 140 million copies of the Gita and 100 million copies of the Ramcharitamanas, an epic poem, at subsidized prices.
In 2022, Gita Press completed its hundred years of operation. The centenary celebrations were inaugurated by former President Ram Nath Kovind in May 2022, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi also extended his congratulations in 2023. The press temporarily closed in December 2014 due to wage issues but resumed its work shortly thereafter, as per reports.
According to the Gita Press’ official website, the organisation’s main goal is to “promote and spread the principles of Sanatana Dharma, the Hindu religion, among the general public by publishing Gita, Ramayana, Upanishads, Puranas, discourses of eminent saints, and other character-building books and magazines and marketing them at highly subsidised prices.”
Meanwhile, the Gita Press on Monday declined to accept the Rs 1 crore cash reward for the Gandhi Peace Prize for 2021. The decision comes amid a controversy surrounding their selection for the prestigious honor, India Today reported. The publisher has stated that they will only accept the citation as part of the award and has suggested that the government should utilize the cash reward elsewhere. In addition to the cash prize, the award also includes a plaque and a beautiful traditional handicraft or handloom item.
What is the Controversy Around the Award Being Given to Gita Press?
The Congress party has criticised awarding the prize to Gita Press and called it a “travesty”.
The party’s general secretary-in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said, “The Gandhi Peace Prize for 2021 has been conferred on the Gita Press at Gorakhpur which is celebrating its centenary this year.”
“There is a very fine biography from 2015 of this organisation by Akshaya Mukul in which he unearths the stormy relations it had with the Mahatma and the running battles it carried on with him on his political, religious and social agenda,” he said.
“The decision is really a travesty and is like awarding Savarkar and Godse,” Ramesh said on Twitter.
PTI contributed to this report
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