Gandhi Peace Prize for 2021 to be conferred on Gita Press, Gorakhpur !

Gita Press has published 16.21 crore copies of Bhagawadgeeta

Gita Press has so far published 41.7 crore books in 14 languages

Gorakhpur (UP) – Ministry of Culture, Government of India has selected Gita Press as the recipient of the ‘Gandhi Peace Award’ for 2021. This is an internationally recognised prestigious award. The Government of India instituted this award in 1995, in the background of the 125th birth anniversary of M Gandhi. The award carries an amount of Rs 1 crore, a citation, a plaque, and an exquisite traditional handicraft/handloom item. The past recipients of this Prize include ISRO, Ramakrishna Mission, Grameen Bank of Bangladesh, Vivekanand Kendra, Kanyakumari, Akshaya Patra, Bengaluru, Ekal Abhiyan Trust, India, and Sulabh International, New Delhi. The Central Ministry of Culture stated while announcing this Prize to Gita Press that conferring the Gandhi Peace Prize to Gita Press on its completion of hundred years was an acknowledgment of the social work rendered by its owners through the medium of Gita Press. Its contribution to humanity is unparallel and important for the upliftment of human beings, which is a true symbol of Gandhian life.

Unmatched contribution of Gita Press to the propagation of Holy Scriptures !

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 copies of Shrimadbhagawadgeeta. The institution has never relied on advertisement for its publications, for revenue generation. Gita Press, along with its affiliated organisations, strives for the betterment of life and the well-being of all. Gita Press is instrumental in propagating the knowledge expounded in the Holy Scriptures Veda, Puran, and Upanishad to Hindus all over India.

PM Modi commends Gita Press

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stated while praising Gita Press for getting the Peace Prize that the contribution of Gita Press, in promoting the Gandhian ideals of peace and social harmony and encouraging social and cultural reforms in the last hundred years, has been commendable. He congratulated Gita Press for receiving Gandhi Peace Prize.

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 https://t.co/B9DmkE9AvS

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 18, 2023

It’s like conferring a prize to Savarkar and Godse ! – Criticism by Congress

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh (Credit : India Posts English)

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticised the conferring of the ‘Gandhi Peace Prize’ to Gita Press by tweeting,

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… pic.twitter.com/PqoOXa90e6

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) June 18, 2023

Editorial Viewpoint

Congress would have celebrated the occasion with great joy had the prize been given to a non-Hindu organisation publishing non-Hindu religious texts; therefore, please note that there is opposition only because a publication house propagating Hindu Dharma has received the prize.