What Is The Controversy Surrounding Gita Press, The World's Largest Publisher Of Hindu Religious Texts?

Gorakhpur: The Gorakhpur-based Gita Press, which is the world's largest publisher of Hindu religious texts, has declined to accept a Rs 1 crore cash award for the Gandhi Peace Prize amid a political row over its selection for the prestigious honour. On 18 June, a jury headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi unanimously decided to select Gita Press as the recipient of the Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2021, in recognition of its outstanding contribution.

Know All About Gita Press

 

Gita Press is a 100-year-old publisher of Hindu religious texts. It was started by businessmen Jai Dayal Goenka, Ghanshyam Das Jalan, and Hanuman Prasad Poddar on April 29, 1923, in Gorakhpur. It has published around 41.7 crore books in 14 languages, including 16.21 crore Shrimad Bhagavad Gita.

The Gita Press has been chosen as the recipient of the Gandhi Peace Prize for 2021 in recognition of its outstanding contribution towards social, economic and political transformation through non-violent and other Gandhian methods.

What Are Its Main Objectives?

 

Its main aim is to publish and distribute Hindu religious texts, particularly the Bhagavad Gita. Other titles, primarily in Hindi, include the Ramayana, Mahabharata, Upanishads, Vedas, Puranas, Agamas, Yoga texts, various Samhitas (compilations) and a monthly magazine called “Kalyan”.

The total number of books published by Gita Press: is 417100000. The publisher is known for its affordable prices and making religious literature accessible to everyone. The Gita Press was established to promote the principles of ‘Sanatan Dharma’. The website of the publishing house claims, "Gita Press archives contains over 3,500 manuscripts including over 100 interpretations of the Bhagwad Gita.”

Who Manages The Gita Press? 

 

The Governing Council (Trust Board) of the publishing house manages the Press. "The institution neither solicits donations nor accepts advertisements in its publications. The deficit is met by the surplus from other departments of the society which render services at a reasonable cost, in accordance with the objects of the society”, its website says.

What's The Controversy Surrounding The Gita Press?

 

The Gorakhpur-based Gita Press has declined to accept the Rs 1 crore cash award for the Gandhi Peace Prize amid a political row over its selection for the prestigious honour. The trustee board of the press has said that it was a matter of ''great honour'' to be conferred the award for 2021 but would not accept the Rs one crore cash component that comes with the prize keeping with its tradition of not receiving any kind of "donations".

The publisher thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Culture Ministry for conferring the award on Gita Press that was founded in 1923 by Jaya Dayal Goyanka and Ghanshyam Das Jalan for promoting the ''principles of Sanatan Dharma.''

"It is a matter of great honour for us. It is our principle not to accept any kind of donations, so the trustee board has decided not to take the award in any monetary form. However, we will certainly accept the award," Gita Press manager Lalmani Tripathi told reporters in Gorakhpur.

Political Blame Game Over Gita Press

 

The main opposition party - Congress - has slammed the Centre alleging that the decision to honour Gita Press with the Gandhi Peace Prize is "really a travesty" and "it's like awarding Savarkar and Godse. Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh made these remarks while referring to Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar and Mahatma Gandhi's killer Nathuram Godse.

Hitting out at the Congress, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said nobody has any objection to its selection except those who consider Muslim League a secular organisation. "Gita Press is associated with India's culture, our ethos and Hindu belief, and it produces affordable literature which reaches every household," Singh said replying to questions at a press conference at the BJP headquarters in Delhi.

The Congress forgot that it was the Muslim League, which gave two nation theory, got India partitioned and took credit for the creation of Pakistan, the senior BJP leader said. The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) condemned the Congress criticism, saying the grand old party has 'insulted' Indian spiritual literature and the country with its 'cheap' reaction on the issue.

Gandhi Peace Prize

 

The Gandhi Peace Prize is an annual award that was instituted by the government in 1995 on the occasion of 125th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi as a tribute to the ideals espoused by the Father of the Nation. The award is open to all persons regardless of nationality, race, language, caste, creed or gender. It carries a cash prize of Rs 1 crore, a citation, a plaque and an exquisite traditional handicraft/handloom item.