Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has decided to honour Gita Press, Gorakhpur, with the prestigious Gandhi Peace Prize 2021 for its “outstanding contribution towards social, economic and political transformation through non-violent and other Gandhian methods,” said the Ministry of Culture on Sunday, June 18, 2023.
Gandhi Peace Prize is an annual award given to those who live their lives following the principals of Mahatma Gandhi. This award is open to everyone regardless of their cast, creed, gender, nationality, race, or language. Also, the winner gets a cash prize of Rs 1 crore, a citation, a plaque and a handicraft/handloom item.
While the ruling party unanimously welcomed this decision of PM Narendra Modi, the opposition – Congress party – has criticized it calling it a “travesty”.
“There is a very fine biography from 2015 of this organization 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, and social agenda. The decision is really a travesty and is like awarding Savarkar and Godse,” Congress leader Jairam Ramesh tweeted.
PM Modi and UP CM Yogi Adityanath tweeted, saying
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
भारत के सनातन धर्म के धार्मिक साहित्य का सबसे महत्वपूर्ण केंद्र, गोरखपुर स्थित गीता प्रेस को वर्ष 2021 का 'गांधी शांति पुरस्कार' प्राप्त होने पर हृदय से बधाई।
— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) June 18, 2023
स्थापना के 100 वर्ष पूर्ण होने पर मिला यह पुरस्कार गीता प्रेस के धार्मिक साहित्य को एक नई उड़ान देगा।
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