PM Modi congratulates Gita Press for receiving Gandhi Peace Prize

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday congratulated Gorakhpur-based Gita Press for receiving the Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2021.

Taking to Twitter, PM lauded Gita Press for its "commendable work" towards furthering social and cultural transformations.

"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," PM Modi said in a tweet.

According to the Ministry of Culture, the Gandhi Peace Prize for 2021 will be conferred on Gita Press, Gorakhpur, in recognition of its "outstanding contribution towards social, economic and political transformation through non-violent and other Gandhian methods.

Gandhi Peace Prize 2021, recognizes the important and unparalleled contribution of Gita Press, in contributing to the collective upliftment of humanity, which personifies Gandhian living in true sense.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also congratulated the press organisation and thanked the PM for the same.

"Heartfelt congratulations to Gita Press located in Gorakhpur, the most important center of the religious literature of Sanatan Dharma of India, on receiving the 'Gandhi Peace Prize' for the year 2021. This award received on completion of 100 years of establishment will give a new flight to the religious literature of Gita Press. Hearty thanks to the Prime Minister for this," Yogi tweeted.

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 wellbeing of all," the Ministry of Culture said on Sunday.

The Jury headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after due deliberations on June 18 unanimously decided to select Gita Press as the recipient of the Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2021, in recognition of its outstanding contribution towards social, economic and political transformation through non-violent and other Gandhian methods.

"PM 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.

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 Mahatma Gandhi. The award is open to all persons regardless of nationality, race, language, caste, creed or gender.

The award carries an amount of Rs. 1 crore, a citation, a plaque and an exquisite traditional handicraft/handloom item.

Recent awardees include Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Al Said, Oman (2019) and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (2020), Bangladesh.