Gita Press Awarded Gandhi Peace Prize. Congress Says "Like Rewarding..."

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh today slammed the Centre for awarding The Gandhi Peace Prize for 2021 to publisher Gita Press from Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur. Calling the decision, taken by a jury headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a "travesty", the Congress MP likened it to awarding Hindutva idologue VD Savarkar and Mahatma Gandhi's killer Nathuram Godse. He also referred to a 2015 book on Gita Press authored by journalist Akshaya Mukul, claiming it unearths the "stormy relations" the publisher had with the Mahatma.

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

Gandhi Peace Prize is an annual award instituted by the Government of India in 1995, on the occasion of the 125th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, as a tribute to the ideals espoused by him. Gita Press is celebrating its centenary this year.

PM Modi said the publisher, one of the world's largest, has done "commendable work" over the last 100 years.

"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," the PM tweeted this morning.

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

"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," a government release said.

The award carries an amount of Rs 1 crore, a citation, a plaque and an exquisite traditional handicraft/handloom item. However, Gita Press said it was a matter of great honour to be conferred the Gandhi Peace Prize, but the publisher would not accept the cash component of the award keeping with its tradition of not receiving any kind of donations.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has hit out at the Congress in a strongly worded tweet. He accused the party of "unleashing a war against India's civilisational values and rich legacy".

"With the win in Karnataka, Congress has now openly unleashed a war against India's civilisational values and rich legacy, be it in the form of repeal of  anti-conversion law or criticism against Geeta Press.people  of India will resist this aggression and reassert our civilisation values with equal aggression," he tweeted.

With the win in Karnataka, Congress has now openly unleashed a war against India's civilisational values and rich legacy, be it in the form of repeal of anti-conversion law or criticism against Geeta Press.people of India will resist this aggression and reassert our…

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) June 19, 2023

Other Bharatiya Janata Party leaders also slammed Mr Ramesh, and called Congress a "Hindu hating party". A spokesperson also taunted Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray for allying with the grand old party even when it allegedly attacks Hindus, Hindutva, and even Savarkar, which Mr Thackeray has called his God.

"Congress has sheer hatred for anything Hindu . From Hindu terror to opposing Ram Mandir to Bhagwa terror to blaming Hindus for 26/11 & now attacking Gita Press

Congress = Hindu hating party! They wanted to ensure Ram Mandir is never built 

Does Uddhav Sena agree with their attack on Hindus, Hindutva and even on Savarkar?" BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla tweeted.

Congress has sheer hatred for anything Hindu
From Hindu terror to opposing Ram Mandir to Bhagwa terror to blaming Hindus for 26/11 & now attacking Gita Press

Congress = Hindu hating party! They wanted to ensure Ram Mandir is never built

Does Uddhav Sena agree with their… pic.twitter.com/f1CKXzSe6R

— Shehzad Jai Hind (@Shehzad_Ind) June 19, 2023

"Congress hates Gita Press because is spread the real message of Sanatan & Hinduism to every nook and corner," Mr Poonawalla said in another tweet attacking Congress. "Congress finds Muslim league as secular but Gita Press is communal ; Zakir Naik is shanti ka messiah but Gita Press is communal," he added, referring to former Congress president Rahul Gandhi's recent defence of his party's ally in Kerala.

Past Gandhi Peace Prize awardees include organisations such as Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Ramakrishna Mission, Akshaya Patra, Sulabh International, and luminaries like Late Dr Nelson Mandela, Baba Amte, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, among others.

"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," the citation read.