Gandhi Peace Prize row: Ministry of Culture has announced that Gita Press in Gorakhpur will be conferred The Gandhi Peace Prize for 2021. The decision to award has sparked a war of words between the BJP and the Congress.
10 points on the controversy
- Gita Press has been selected for the award by a jury headed by Prime Minister Modi. The award carries an amount of Rs 1 crore, a citation, a plaque and an exquisite traditional handicraft or handloom item.
- The award is being to the press in recognition of its outstanding contribution towards social, economic and political transformation through non-violent and other Gandhian methods.
- The publisher has said that it would not accept the cash price of Rs 1 crore, keeping with its tradition of not receiving any kind of donations.
- Congress has criticised the government for the decision, saying it is a travesty and is like awarding Savarkar and Godse. "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," Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a tweet.
- The BJP, in its counter, said nobody has any objection to its selection except those who consider Muslim League a secular organisation. Union Minister Jitendra Singh said, “Gita Press is associated with India's culture, our ethos and Hindu belief, and it produces affordable literature which reaches every household."
- BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi said that by opposing Congress is denying the core values of inclusive society. " 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 Geeta forget Geeta press. Let me remind them that Neta Ji Boss always carried Geeta in his pocket," Lekhi said.
- The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) condemned the Congress criticism, saying the grand old party has “insulted” Indian spiritual literatures and the country with its “cheap” reaction on the issue. “What a cheap statement that this honour is like awarding Savarkar and Godse,” VHP working president Alok Kumar charged. He termed the Congress’ remarks “disappointing and insulting” to the country, and said Ramesh's reference to Godse in his reaction is “tantamount to insulting the entire Indian spiritual literature.
- Meanwhile, Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam opposed the party stand and called the criticism of Gita Press “the height of anti-Hindu mentality”. “Opposing Gita Press is a height of anti-Hindu mentality. People holding responsible posts in the party must refrain from giving statements that could inflict harm which might take ages to heal,” said the Congress leader.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated 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," tweets PM Modi.
- Gita Press is the world's largest publisher of Hindu religious texts and it was founded in 1923 by Jaya Dayal Goyanka and Ghanshyam Das Jalan for promoting the principles of Sanatan Dharma. The press has published more than 93 crore books so far and all the publishing work of the press is done in Gorakhpur.
(With agencies input)
