The Ministry of Culture on June 18 announced that Gita Press will be conferred with the Gandhi Peace Price of 2021 for its, “outstanding contribution towards social, economic and political transformation through non-violent and other Gandhian methods”.
The Prime Minister of the country, Narendra Modi also appreciated the move and wrote, “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.”
It is pertinent to mention that authorities at Gita Press have accepted the award but have refused to take the grant of Rs 1 Crore which is given as prize money to the recipient.
Contrary to the happiness among people with the right choice made by the Ministry of Culture, the Congress party started their communal debate around the decision. The Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, awarding Gita Press is like awarding ‘Godse and Savarkar’. He called the selection of Gita Press for the award a “travesty”.
He argued that Akshaya Mukul, an author had written a biography titled ‘Gita Press and the Making of Hindu India’. Ramesh said the book talks about Mukul’s “stormy” relations with Mahatma Gandhi.
On June 18, Jairam wrote on Twitter, “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 & social agenda. The decision is really a travesty and is like awarding Savarkar and Godse.”
While replying to Jairam’s statement on Twitter the Union Minister of State for External Affairs & Culture Meenakshi Lekhi wrote, “The founder of Gita press was Hanuman Prasad Poddar Ji, a revolutionary arrested by British. Govind Vallabh Pant recommended him for Bharat Ratna. It’s the first journal Kalyan fought for Dalit entry in temples. Low-cost publications helped people retain their faith & pride. By opposing his name Congress is denying the core values of inclusive society. British considered these acts seditious & such acts of expression by Hindus are opposed by the likes of PFI in modern India. Which side is Congress on ? Congress under wrong influences has to oppose Gita forget Gita press. Let me remind them that Neta Ji Boss always carried Gita in his pocket.”
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, an official statement by the ministry said.
Instituted by the government in 1995, the Gandhi Peace Prize is an annual award 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 award carries a cash prize of Rs 1 crore, a citation, a plaque and an exquisite traditional handicraft/handloom item. The past awardees include organisations such as ISRO and Ramakrishna Mission.
Notably, in a statement, the ministry said that after due deliberations, a jury, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, unanimously decided to honour Gita Press, Gorakhpur, with the 2021 award, in recognition of its outstanding contribution towards social, economic and political transformation through non-violent and other Gandhian methods.
“Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi recalled the contribution of Gita Press, in promoting the Gandhian ideals of peace and social harmony. He observed that the conferment of 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.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath also conveyed his wishes to the Press. “Heartiest congratulations to Gorakhpur-based Gita Press, the most important centre of the religious literature of Sanatan Dharma of India, on receiving the ‘Gandhi Peace Prize’ for the year 2021,” he tweeted.
