Gita Press, Gorakhpur, one of the world's largest publishers, has said that it would accept only the citation under Gandhi Peace Prize, requesting the government to spend the cash prize for some other works. On Sunday, a panel led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi overwhelmingly chose Gita Press as the recipient of the prize. Under the award, Rs 1 crore cash prize is given with a citation. A plaque and an amazing traditional handicraft or handloom item are also included in the prize.
Congratulating the Geeta Press, PM Modi tweeted, “I congratulate Gita Press, Gorakhpur, on being awarded the Gandhi Peace Prize 2021. They have done outstanding work over the last century to foster social and cultural developments among the people. However, on Monday, the publisher stated that it would only accept the citation, asking that the government spend the monetary incentive elsewhere, reported Hindusthan Samachar. In the meantime, the Congress slammed the decision to honour Gita Press.
Gandhi Peace Prize is an annual award instituted by Government of India in 1995, on the occasion of 125th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi as a tribute to the ideals espoused by Mahatma Gandhi. The award is open to all persons regardless of nationality, race, language, caste, creed or gender.
The past awardees include organizations such as ISRO, Ramakrishna Mission, Grameen Bank of Bangladesh, Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari, Akshaya Patra, Bengaluru, Ekal Abhiyan Trust, India and Sulabh International, New Delhi. It has also been awarded to luminaries like Late Dr. Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa, Dr. Julius Nyerere, Former President of Tanzania, Dr. A.T. Ariyaratne, Founder President of Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement, Sri Lanka, Dr. Gerhard Fischer, Federal Republic of Germany, Baba Amte, Dr. John Hume, Ireland, Mr. Vaclav Havel, former President of Czechoslovakia, Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, Shri Chandi Prasad Bhatt and Shri Yohei Sasakawa, Japan.
Recent awardees include Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Al Said, Oman (2019) and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (2020), Bangladesh. The Jury headed by the Prime Minister Modi, after due deliberations on 18th June, 2023 unanimously decided to select Gita Press, Gorakhpur as the recipient of the Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2021, in recognition of its outstanding contribution towards social, economic and political transformation through non-violent and other Gandhian methods.
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. The institution has never relied on advertisement in its publications, for revenue generation. Gita Press along with its affiliated organizations, strives for the betterment of life and the well being of all.
Gandhi Peace Prize 2021, recognizes the important and unparalleled contribution of Gita Press, in contributing to collective upliftment of humanity, which personifies Gandhian living in true sense.
