July 3, 2023: The PM and the CM of Uttar Pradesh praise the recipient of the Gandhi Peace Prize 2021 for their efforts. Here is everything you need to know about it.
The Gandhi Peace Prize for 2021 has been awarded to Gita Press, Gorakhpur. Gita Press was jointly selected for the honour by the selection committee, which was presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The government chose Gita Press for the award "in recognition of its outstanding contribution towards social, economic, and political transformation through non-violent and other Gandhian methods," as stated in a statement.
The Gandhi Peace Prize was launched by the government in 1995 to commemorate the 125th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi's birth as a tribute to the ideals espoused by Mahatma Gandhi.
The annual award is given to individuals and institutions for their contribution towards social, economic and political transformation through non-violence and other Gandhian methods.
The award is open to all persons regardless of nationality, race, language, caste, creed or gender.
A jury consisting of the Prime Minister of India, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Chief Justice of India and two other eminent persons decide the awardee each year.
It includes a cash reward of rupees 1 crore, an acknowledgment, a plaque, and a piece of traditional handicraft or handloom.
Gita Press is one of the biggest publishers in the world and specializes in publishing Hindu holy books. It was founded in 1923. The Press has sold 93 crore copies of more than 1,850 holy books in 15 languages since then. Over 3.5 crore copies of Goswami Tulsadas' "Ramcharitmanas," which was published by Gita Press, have also been purchased. Additionally, it has sold over 16 crore copies of the 'Shrimad Bhagvad Gita'.
"I congratulate Gita Press, Gorakhpur, on being conferred the Gandhi Peace Prize 2021," the PM tweeted after the announcement. He added that the Press has significantly contributed to advancing social and cultural reforms in society over the past 100 years.
Gorakhpur Sadar's MLA and Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath thanked PM Modi for the honour. The CM tweeted, "Heartfelt congratulations to Gita Press located in Gorakhpur, the most important centre of religious literature of ‘Sanatan Dharma of India’, on receiving the Gandhi Peace Prize 2021."
PM Modi praised Gita Press for its work in propagating the Gandhian principles of peace and social harmony when announcing the prize. He stated that Gita Press received the Gandhi Peace Prize in acknowledgment of the institution's work in community service and on the big day of its 100th anniversary. According to a government statement, the Press has never depended on advertising in its publications for earning money.
Lalmani Tripathi, the manager of Gita Press stated to the reporters that the demand these days is so high that sometimes they are unable to fulfill the expectations of the readers. He mentioned, "In the last financial year, we have sold over 2.40 crore copies of our books for nearly rupees 111 crore.” According to Tripathi, Gita Press sells over 10 lakh copies of Ramcharitmanas yearly and does not rely on donations.
The Gita Press complex in Gorakhpur, which extends two lakh square feet, was officially inaugurated by the president at the time, Rajendra Prasad, in April 1955. In June 2022, President Ramnath Kovind attended the 100th-anniversary festivities in Gorakhpur.
Its publications are available in 15 languages, including Nepali, English, and Urdu. Gita Press has twenty branches around the nation, and its books are available in more than 2,500 bookstores both inside and outside of India, including in nations like Nepal. Nearly 450 people work in the main office. It started publishing a monthly magazine, "Kalyan" in 1926. Now it has 1.60 lakh copies. According to the manager, Tripathi, the Kalyan has sold 17 crore copies of his work so far.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, a former president of Bangladesh, received the award the previous year.
Organizations like ISRO, Ramakrishna Mission, Grameen Bank of Bangladesh, the Vivekananda Kendra in Kanyakumari, Akshaya Patra, and Sulabh International are among the recipients of previous awards.
It has also been given to people including Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Al Said of Oman, Nelson Mandela of South Africa, Julius Nyerere of Tanzania, Baba Amte, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.